Possession

The Curious History of Private Collectors from Antiquity to the Present

Thompson Erin

Whether it's the discovery of $1.6 billion in Nazi-looted art or the news that Syrian rebels are looting UNESCO archaeological sites to buy arms, art crime commands headlines. Erin Thompson, America's only professor of art crime, explores the dark history of looting, smuggling, and forgery that lies at the heart of many private art collections and many of the world's most renowned museums. Enlivened by fascinating personalities and scandalous events, Possession shows how collecting antiquities has been a way of creating identity, informed by a desire to annex the past while providing an illicit thrill along the way. Thompson's accounts of history's most infamous collectors – from the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who stole a life-sized nude Greek statue for his bedroom, to Queen Christina of Sweden, who habitually pilfered small antiquities from her fellow aristocrats, to Sir William Hamilton, who forced his mistress to enact poses from his collection of Greek vases – are as mesmerizing as they are revealing.

About the Author

Erin Thompson is assistant professor in the Department of Art and Music at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY.

Reviews

"With elan and insight, Erin Thompson delves into the fascinating history of the human obsession to personally own physical relics of the past. 'Possession' illuminates the complex psychological and social motives that drive individuals to collect antiquities, from ancient Roman emperors and Renaissance popes to modern connoisseurs and today's looters (and destroyers) of archaeological treasures" – Adrienne Mayor, author of "The Amazons" and "The Poison King"

"Erin Thompson advances the study of the art world by taking on the hard work: the examination of the motives behind those who take the leap into the world of collecting. 'Possession' is an essential study of collecting throughout the ages, whether the art be precious or illicit, by a leading scholar in the field" – Anthony M. Amore, author of "The Art of the Con" and "Stealing Rembrandts"

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