William M. Griswold Libros

The Pierpont Morgan Library is now known internationally as both a research center and museum providing visitors access to some of the Western world's most significant cultural artifacts. This publication affords its readers an inside view of these rich holdings, first assembled by a passionate, private collector, with informative essays on priceless illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, on pre-1825 drawings by masters such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Piranesi, Fuseli, and Blake, on a unique collection of musical scores by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Cage, and others, and on manuscripts and letters by Zola, Picasso, and Einstein as well as other writers, artists, and scientists from the fifteenth to twentieth centuries.

Not only did Flavin produce numerous sketches for his light installations, he also regularly drew in the open air, mostly riverscapes and beach scenes. He found drawing “an intensely concentrated personal form of artistic relief.” Flavin’s passion for drawing extended to collecting the works of other artists. From the 19th century, he was particularly attracted to the light and atmosphere of the drawings of the Hudson River school painters, and also Japanese drawings. His drawings by 20th century artists ranged from Piet Mondrian to Donald Judd. His late years are represented by a group of pastels of sails, a subject he turned to in the mid-1980s. Flavin rarely sold or gave away his drawings. Most of the works in the book remained in his studio until the end of his life. Many have never been shown publicly and are being published here for the first time.