Possession: The Curious History Of Private Collectors From Antiquity To The Present

"All the best art history books carry the sense that they’re telling secrets, and Erin Thompson knows it; reading Possession feels like sneaking through a dark museum late at night. From a discussion of how Roman antiquities were used centuries later to build political and cultural identity to a chapter on smuggling, Thompson’s scholarship is on display, but it’s the anecdotes that make this one a delight. If you’re looking for an art history book that also rats out a couple of popes, you’ve found it."