Made in the U.S.A.: American Art from the Phillips Collection, 1850%E2%80%931970

This book celebrates the three-fourths of the Phillips Collection (located in Washington, D.C.) that is devoted to American Art. Founder Duncan Phillips was a focused collector and patron of American artworks who appreciated "landscapes, narratives, and romantic subjects" and preferred to acquire multiple paintings from single "independently minded artists." Perhaps the best example is Mark Rothko, for whom Phillips built a special room for four paintings. An essay by Phillips chief curator Eliza E. Rathbone is dedicated to the origins of this "most successful installations of the artist's work." Phillips also enthusiastically collected more than 23 works of John Marin, was the first museum director to acquire the work of Georgia O'Keefe, and provided life-long financial support to Arthur Dove. Editor Behrends Frank, Phillips associate curator for research, pays justifiable homage to Phillips's vision. She segments the artworks into thematic and temporal categories (much like the rooms or areas in an exhibition) that zoom in on features essential to understanding the importance of the works shows. As a result, the book serves as a revealing lens on the history of American art. 165 color and 126 b&w illus. (Jan.)