American Scholar: Familiar set pieces nestled in rich context
“An intellectual history of an unschooled painter, a family history that goes back several gilded generations, a cultural history of the 20th century, a financial accounting of a highborn gambler, a guide to midcentury Soho drinking clubs, a description of an evolving artistic oeuvre, and a re-created diary of lowbrow fun with art luminaries, socialites, and thugs…One of the pleasures of comprehensive biographies like this one is seeing familiar set pieces nestled in rich context.”
Sierra Bellows, “Artist of Excess,” The American Scholar, March 16, 2021.