Digital Editions
Newsletters
Subscribe
Digital Editions
Newsletters
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Books
review

Philippe Costamagna’s combination of autobiography, anecdote and single discovery told in his own words

The memoirs of the Pontormo expert and director of the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Ajaccio

Aldo Scardinelli
29 November 2018
Share
Philippe Costamagna

Philippe Costamagna

Philippe Costamagna is the director of the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Ajaccio, Corsica, and a specialist of Pontormo. His major discovery was the artist’s Christ on the Cross (around 1650), found hanging, unidentified, in the Musée des Beaux Art in Nice in 2005.

This book is part autobiography, part anecdotes from his career and part history of “Eyes”, the connoisseurs in the art world who, as he says, have the ability to identify artworks “at a glance”. Sadly, his self-confidence (“Whenever I am confronted with a fake, I know it immediately”) mars what otherwise could be an interesting study of the oft-undervalued importance of connoisseurship. But in Costamagna’s case, his “eye” is too often identified with his “I”.

  • Philippe Costamagna, translated by Frank Wynne, The Eye: an Insider's Memoir of Masterpieces, Money, and the Magnetism of Art, New Vessel Press, 256pp, $24.95 (hb)
BooksFranceBook ShortsCorsicaAutobiography
Share
Subscribe to The Art Newspaper’s digital newsletter for your daily digest of essential news, views and analysis from the international art world delivered directly to your inbox.
Newsletter sign-up
Information
About
Contact
Cookie policy
Data protection
Privacy policy
Frequently Asked Questions
Subscription T&Cs
Terms and conditions
Advertise
Sister Papers
Sponsorship policy
Follow us
Instagram
Bluesky
LinkedIn
Facebook
TikTok
YouTube
© The Art Newspaper

Related content

Book Shortsreview
6 May 2020

Degas’ love of the Paris opera house is brought to the fore in this catalogue

The artist used a variety of devices to explore the interior of the Opéra Garnier throughout his career

Aldo Scardinelli
Book Shortsreview
3 April 2019

William-Adolphe Bougeureau: tasteless, sentimental, soft-porny, but French above all

Book looks at the former official darling of the American republic

Aldo Scardinelli