Magician of the Modern: Chick Austin and the Transformation of the Arts in America

Chick Austin was like a compass that always pointed to the beautiful and the choice. With an unerring eye he chose the finest of Baroque art and the latest in German plumbing fixtures! His tast was impeccable. He instinctively was drawn to the most talented and innovative people and brought them to the heart of New England.Finally,he pushed the envelope of what the city of Hartford would tolerate achieving his (perhaps) unconscious goal and was forced to leave. After trying Hollywood unsuccessfully he wound up in Florida, managing another art museum with bravura. His amazing wife stayed in Ct. waiting for him to return. Finally, he did come back to die in the magical, enchanting home they had created together. Thousands still are enriched by his legacy of art.

Charming and innovative are probably the best words to describe Chick Austin, the subject of this biography. It is rare that a mere museum director is the subject of a biography, particularly one as entertaining as this one, but Chick Austin was not the average museum director. He was schooled early on in European culture by his geneologically ambitious mother, who seemed to spend a great deal of her later years seeking family links, often specious, to European Royalty. He also developed an interest in magic which stayed with him for the majority of his life. Chick Austin went from indifferent Harvard Student to the director of the Wadsworth Athenium in Hartford in something like 5 years. He brought a great deal of vigor to this, staging the first Baroque (when this art period was unpopular), Picasso, and Dali shows. He also staged Gertrude Stein's opera, Four Saints in Three Acts." All of this was a bit too much for dear old Hartford, who were alternately charmed and shocked by their young art director. Previously the museum had been noted for its collection of colonial furniture, after such an abrupt change it is not too difficult to imagine why. In the process, Austin managed to acquire a large number of Old Masters and Modern works. One of the five Caravaggios in the United States was bought for the museum by Austin toward the end of his tenure. Austin's other great achievement was the Ringling Museum in Florida. The former Circus tycoon had amassed a large collection of Baroque Art in Florida. Austin not only managed to save many of the paintings from exposure to the elements, but add significantly to the hopdings of the museum by acquiring an 18th century Italian theatre. Predictably, Austin's efforts brought him into conflict with a variety of old fuddie duddies, from trustees, state legislatures and hack journalists. The unique artistic vision of these cretins is unlikely to be celebrated anytime soon. While Hartford and the steate of Florida haved physical evidence of Austin's efforts, the entire museum going public has cause to likewise be grateful. With Chick Austin's museums became far less stuffy places,at least in the right hands. This book is written by the director of the Austin House in Hartford and as such it is likely to the be the most authoritative for years to come.

Chick Austin is a national treasure and what he did for the art scene is truly remarkable. I enjoyed the entire book and reading about how he developed his collection. I am not much of an art history buff and picked this book up during the holidays while visiting my family...I was hooked from the beginning. I am glad I read this.

The author weaves a very interesting and well-organized tale about a fascinating person and an exciting time to be involved in the art world in the United States. Although the substantial footnote section validates the author's detailed and thorough research, I never felt as if the text itself were bogged down with unnecessary or uninteresting detail. I suspect that some readers will note similarities between many of the struggles that Chick Austin faced and similar situations in the contemporary art scene today. This is an excellent book with a great story - I highly recommend it.

A must-read for anyone interested in the arts in America. This splendid biography of Chick Austin is a landmark, defining what it means to be modern. The book brilliantly describes Austin's ground-breaking career and fascinating life: helping bring Balanchine to America, building the country's first modernist museum building, scandalizing Hartford, and bringing the magical Asolo theatre to the Ringling Museum in Sarasota. The biography will appeal greatly to those interested in American museums, theatre, music, the Italian Baroque, the 1920's period, the Bauhaus style, as well as surrealism, cubism, and all aspects of the modern. Written with great taste and insight; highly recommended.