MONA LISA IN CAMELOT: How Jacqueline Kennedy and da Vinci's Masterpiece Charmed and Captivated a Nation
New York: Da Capo Press, 2008. First Edition. Hardcover. Presentation copy, inscribed and dated by Margaret Leslie Davis to Eric Idle on the title page. Octavo: x, 278 pp. with 27 illustrations. Original green paper-covered boards over a gold paper spine with black-stamped titles. A fine copy in a fine dust jacket.
From the library of revered English actor, comedian, musician, and writer Eric Idle, accompanied by a letter of provenance. Idle (b.1943) is a founding member of the British comedy troupe Monty Python, as well as the parody rock group The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the hit Broadway musical Spamalot.
The 1963 American exhibition of the Mona Lisa in New York City and Washington, D.C., was America's first blockbuster art show. Gathering rare archival documents and interviews, acclaimed biographer Margaret Leslie Davis recounts in detail the negotiations, preparations, flummoxes, and successes of the exhibit. The exhibition was masterminded by the diplomatically savvy Mrs. Kennedy, whose personal relationships with French cultural minister André Malraux and National Gallery director John Walker overcame negative French press and concerns over subjecting a fragile artwork to a transatlantic journey. Fine / Fine. Item #78788
ISBN: 9780738211039
Price: $75.00