The Maverick's Museum

A fascinating biography of the drugmaker Albert Barnes, whose pioneering collection of modern art was meant to transform Americaâs soul

From prominent critic and biographer Blake Gopnik comes a compelling new portrait of Americaâs first great collector of modern art, Albert Coombs Barnes. Raised in a Philadelphia slum shortly after the Civil War, Barnes rose to earn a medical degree and then made a fortune from a pioneering antiseptic treatment for newborns. Never losing sight of the working-class neighbors of his youth, Barnes became a ruthless advocate for their rights and needs. His vast art collectionâ"180 Renoirs, 67 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, 45 Picassosâ"was dedicated to enriching their cultural lives. A miner was more likely to get access than a mine owner.

Gopnikâs meticulous research reveals Barnes as a fierce advocate for the egalitarian ideals of his eraâs progressive movement. But while his friends in the movement worked to reshape American society, Barnes wanted to transform the nationâs aesthetic life, taking art out of the hands of the elite and making it available to the average American.

The Maverickâs Museum offers a vivid picture of one of Americaâs great eccentrics. The sheer ferocity of Barnesâs democratic ambitions left him with more enemies than allies among people of all classes, but for a circle of intimates, he was a model of intelligence, generosity, and loyalty. In this compelling portrait, Gopnik reveals a life shaped by contradictions, one that left a lasting impact.