Possession

Erin Thompson is assistant professor in the Department of Art and Music at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY.

“Riveting. . . . [A] treasure trove of a book.”—Willard Spiegelman, Wall Street Journal“A fine and entertaining account.”—Jas Elsner, Times Literary Supplement“In her insightful history of private collectors of Greek and Roman antiquity, Erin Thompson, America’s only full-time professor of crime, explores how collectors’ desires dramatically changed the fate of antiquities, altering their sex, identity and meaning. . . . An informed investigation.”—Tiffany Jenkins, Literary Review“Thompson concludes that collecting art is an ideal way for individuals to connect to the past and acquire a certain identity and social prestige. Perfect reading for art lovers and ideal for dipping into.”—Rebecca Wallersteiner, The LadyAn NPR Best Book of 2016Shortlisted for the 2017 Ralph Waldo Emerson Award from the Phi Beta Kappa Society“With elan and insight, Erin Thompson delves into the fascinating history of the human obsession to personally own physical relics of the past. Possession illuminates the complex psychological and social motives that drive individuals to collect antiquities, from ancient Roman emperors and Renaissance popes to modern connoisseurs and today's looters (and destroyers) of archaeological treasures.”—Adrienne Mayor, author of The Amazons and The Poison King“Erin Thompson advances the study of the art world by taking on the hard work: the examination of the motives behind those who take the leap into the world of collecting. Possession is an essential study of collecting throughout the ages, whether the art be precious or illicit, by a leading scholar in the field.”—Anthony M. Amore, author of The Art of the Con and Stealing Rembrandts