Only the Best: Masterpieces of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon

by Katharine Baetjer, James David Draper

A Metropolitan Museum of Art Publication This volume brings together 80 of the finest masterpieces in the collection of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, all richly illustrated in color. These magnificent works, which reflect the eclectic taste of renowned art collector Calouste Gulbenkian (1896-1955), include paintings by Rubens, Fragonard, Gainsborough, Turner, and Manet; jewelry by Lalique and silver from services produced for the nobility of Russia and Western Europe; Roman medallions; Ottoman ceramics; Japanese lacquerware; and books and textiles from both the Eastern and Western worlds. Published to accompany an exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, this stunning book offers dazzling testimony to Gulbenkian's devotion to quality. As a collector-whether of ancient Egyptian pieces, Islamic works, or European painting and decorative arts-Gulbenkian acquired "only the best." 120 illustrations, 112 in full color, 81_2 x 10"

163 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999