Public access to art in Paris

the long version

Public Access to Art in Paris explores public accessibility to art (mainly painting and sculpture) on exhibit in Paris from the High Middle Ages to the year 1800. The topic is important, because from such displays emerged the familiar institutions and practices of the modern world: public museums and sculpture gardens, exhibitions of contemporary art, and popular art journalism. This book traces the origins and development of these familiar components in the city of Paris, where Robert Berger believes all the crucial elements first appeared together. The documentary format offers the reader an extensive array of source writings, many translated for the first time.