The Collection of the National Gallery of Victoria

The National Gallery of Victoria is Australia's oldest and largest public collection. In this handsome and lavishly illustrated new volume, its great collections are documented and described for the first time in relation to the socio-cultural factors which shaped collecting policies. The evolution of the Gallery from its inception is described and all areas of the collection are encompassed. Paintings, sculpture, prints and drawings, furniture, metalwork, ceramics, glass and costumes are all generously illustrated. Informatively written, this book provides an account of inspired purchases and generous bequests as well as missed opportunities and arrogant decisions taken by some of the past directors and trustees, making for provocative reading. the history behind the acquisition of the Gallery's major pieces makes for compelling reading as does the author's scholarly yet eminently readable examination of the artworks themselves.