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Library FAQs

 

Library FAQs

 

How can I get my work of art appraised?

Like most museums, the Phillips does not offer appraisal or authentication services.  We recommend that you consult the Appraisers Association of America. The Museum of Modern Art also has an excellent collection of resources here.

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I'd like to learn more about the history of The Phillips Collection. Where should I begin?

For a brief overview, see the History section of this website.

The Eye of Duncan Phillips: A Collection in the Making, edited by Erika Passantino and published by The Phillips Collection in association with Yale University Press in 1999, is the most scholarly publication on the museum's collection and history. The product of more than 20 years of research, it contains essays on Duncan Phillips's development as a collector and critic, as well as detailed entries on several hundred works in the museum's permanent collection. It is available for sale in the museum shop.

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Where can I learn more about the architecture of The Phillips Collection?

A brief overview of the building's history is available here. The dates and architects for each part of the museum are as follows:

  • Phillips house, 1897, Hornblower & Marshall
  • First floor addition (Music Room), 1907, Hornblower & Marshall
  • Second floor addition (Main Gallery), 1920, McKim, Mead & White
  • Fourth floor addition (Marjorie Phillips's studio, later used by the former Phillips Gallery Art School), 1923, Frederick H. Brooke
  • Fourth floor renovation and addition, 1983-84, Arthur Cotton Moore
  • Annex, 1960, Frederick R. King of Wyeth and King
  • Renovation and expansion of annex (Goh Annex), 1989, Arthur Cotton Moore
  • Sant Building addition, 2006, Cox, Graae and Spack

Additional information is available in The Eye of Duncan Phillips. On-site researchers can also consult the library's vertical files.

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Can you provide information on the name changes of The Phillips Collection?

Phillips Memorial Art Gallery (July 1920-May 1923)

Phillips Memorial Gallery (May 1923-October 1948)

The Phillips Gallery (October 1948-July 1961)

The Phillips Collection (July 1961-present)

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Who are some of the people in Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party, and where can I learn more about the painting?

A brief introduction to the painting is available here (scroll down to read the text below the painting). For the identities of the people in the painting, see our online diagram. The Phillips Collection also offers a Luncheon of the Boating Party teaching kit.

For additional information, see the entry on Luncheon of the Boating Party in The Eye of Duncan Phillips or refer to Impressionists on the Seine: A Celebration of Renoir's  Luncheon of the Boating Party, by Eliza E. Rathbone et al., published by Counterpoint in association with The Phillips Collection, 1996.

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Where can I get reliable information on artists and on the history of art?

The Dictionary of Art is a good place to start. It includes entries on the art of all time periods and cultures. Although most of the artists it includes are well known, the web version, part of Oxford Art Online, is regularly updated with entries on additional artists and art subjects, includes helpful search features for related articles, and contains thousands more images than the print version. The library owns the print version of the Dictionary of Art and subscribes to Oxford Art Online, one of several electronic resources which may be used on-site.

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What book do you recommend for doing initial research on lesser-known artists?

The Benezit Dictionary of Artists, which comprises 14 volumes, is an excellent place to begin. It contains short entries on artists of all nationalities and time periods. Most art museum libraries, including the Phillips library, have Benezit.

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Augustus Vincent Tack, The Voice of Many Waters, circa 1923 - 1924.