The Ultimate Trophy: How Impressionist Painting Conquered the World

by Philip Hook

Starting with its shocking novelty and confounding style, Philip Hook traces the impact of the Impressionist painting as it spread to Germany, America, Great Britain and Japan, polarizing modernists and conservatives. Drawn from the author's own experiences with art collectors and dealers, this fascinating chapter in art history is narrated through the lens of today's art market.

Genres: Art, Art History, History

223 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Philip Hook joined Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art Department as the senior specialist in 1994. Sotheby’s is the most prestigious Fine Art Auction House in the UK. He read History of Art at the University of Cambridge where he also won a soccer blue. In 1973 Philip joined Christie’s directly from University. He headed Christie’s 19th Century Paintings Department from 1980 to 1987. In between working at the two auction houses he founded a London art dealers, The St. James’s Art Group.

He has over 35 years of experience and expertise of the art market, he is the author of five successful novels set in the art world and his book Breakfast at Sotheby’s: An A-Z of The Art World was published by Penguin in November 2013. The latter discusses art’s value as an investment and its place in our society.

Philip has appeared regularly on The Antiques Roadshow (BBC) as a picture expert. He makes frequent public speaking appearances, covering a range of art-related subjects.

Philip’s latest book, Rogues’ Gallery: A History of Art and its Dealers (Feb 2017) exposes five centuries of history, scandals, big wins and horrifying losses in the international art world.

Reviews

[Istvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating journey

Entertaining and enlightening. An adventure in art history and the commerce that exploded in the twentieth century. Love the Da Vinci Code climax.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Club selection for January. This book reads more like a text book than anything else, particularly at the beginning. The overview of the beginnings of Impressionism and the rejection from the Salon, was nothing I hadn't already learned in an art history class. As tempted as I was to put the book down, I kept at it. Once the subject veered away from the initial rise of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, it got interesting. Hook offers some anecdotes scattered throughout the book about his experiences as an art dealer, but really it was much more interesting to see how Impressionist works became signs of wealth and success. And how the works shifted hands from Germany to America to Japan and finally worldwide. It's worth a read, if it's a subject you're interested in.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This interesting and quick read by Philip Hook traces the ascent of the Impressionist painting - from the rare early sales and being the object of public derision to its status today as a revered masterpiece conferring status and taste upon those who have the money to purchase the work. Particularly engrossing is how the auction houses grew and adapted in concert with the rising values.

[carelessdestiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

It' illuminating to read this account of how some high end paintings have become a form of currency which has lost any connection to aesthetic value. The anecdotes about the absurdities of the very rich are hilarious too.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intelligent and well-written. I would've given it 5 stars, except that the subject matter (high end art dealing) isn't that interesting to me.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative history of the impressionist market and entertaining. Well written.