Friday’s Library Snapshot …

I don’t often get the opportunity to work with new and shiny books; this was a nice experience especially as many of the images were from here at Special Collections.

Russian-born American Jewish artist Max Weber (1881-1861) is widely recognised for introducing Cubism to New York.  Max Weber: an American Cubist in Paris and London, 1905-15 is the first publication to examine his career and influence with a European rather than an American context.  It accompanies the first major museum exhibition of Weber’s work in the UK at Ben Uri showcasing the University of Reading’s rare collection of 14 works (c1910-1912), formed by Weber’s champion in England, American émigré photographer Alvin Langdon Coburn (1882-1966). Following his formative years in Paris (1905-1908), as a founding member of Matisse’s art class, Weber played a crucial role in the significant cross-cultural dialogue between Paris and London. He was included in Roger Fry’s inaugural Grafton Group Exhibition in 1913 exhibiting alongside artist including Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, Percy Wyndham Lewis, C.R.W. Nevinson, Helen Saunders and Wassily Kandinsky.