When great figures of the art world clash head on in the courtroom, the result is drama that is both serious and comic. This book examines six modern art trials covering a wide range of legal and artistic considerations. The highly colorful personalities involved in these trials include figures of immense financial power, prominent art experts, and directly or indirectly, the artists themselves. The trials are not only discussed but also re-created with pertinent excerpts from the trial transcripts. (Book jacket).

CONTENTS
Introduction by Tom Wolfe.
Preface.
1. The brush or the pen? - Whistler vs. Ruskin.
2. What's in a name? - Brancusi vs. .
3. Leonardo's libeled lady - Hahn vs. Duveen.
4. Traitor or forger? - Van Meegeren vs. Vermeer.
5. Our flag was still there - The people of the state of New York vs. Stephen Radich. 6. The matter of Mark Rothko, deceased.
Afterword.
Notes [bibliography].
Index.

When great figures of the art world clash head on in the courtroom, the result is drama that is both serious and comic. This book examines six modern art trials covering a wide range of legal and artistic considerations. The highly colorful personalities involved in these trials include figures of immense financial power, prominent art experts, and directly or indirectly, the artists themselves. The trials are not only discussed but also re-created with pertinent excerpts from the trial transcripts. (Book jacket).