Description
Signed first edition of Florentine Art under Fire by Frederick Hartt, a member of the “Monuments Men.”
Octavo, 148pp. Red cloth, title in gilt on spine. No additional printings listed on copyright page. Solid text block, light wear to edges. In the publisher’s dust jacket, $5.00 retail price on front flap, faint toning and wear to top edge. Short closed tear with light chipping at top of spine. Complete with 55 numbered illustrations showing art pieces before and after World War II, plus three fold-out maps. Signed by the author on the title page.
In Florentine Art Under Fire, Frederick Hartt (1914-1991) details his experiences as part of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program, known as the “Monuments Men.” Hartt, and roughly 400 other service members and civilians, worked to protect important historical and cultural pieces from damage during World War II. In addition to preservation, the “Monuments Men” found and returned pieces stolen by the Nazis as the war came to a close. After WWII, Hartt taught art history at multiple institutions, including Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Virginia.
