Cathedrals of Urban Modernity Creation of the First Museums of Contemporary Art

First published in 1998, this volume explores the expanding wave of a new kind of museums of contemporary art in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Lorente examines their ?coming of age? and the weight of their museological legacy, arguing that the establishment of great national museums of art at London and Paris radiated out, carrying their influence with it. This book emerged as part of a series on towns and cities and has a focus on London and Paris as centres of artistic innovation.

1. New Kinds of Museums in the Nineteenth Century: the ‘Cathedrals of Urban Modernity’. 2. State Politics of Art Patronage in Paris: the Luxembourg Museum. 3. London Galleries Founded by Private Sponsors of Victorian Art. 4. Galleries of (Greater) Nationalism: the German Countries, the Slavonic Nations and Italy. 5. The Expanding Wave: Parallel Endeavours in Other Western Cities. 6. Epilogue: the ‘Coming of Age’ of Museums of Contemporary Art and the Weight of the Museological Legacy.