Revenge of the Philistines

Internationally renowned critic, Hilton Kramer surveys the contemporary art scene, offering a penetrating account of its turbulent history and an analysis of the work of a variety of modern artists, including Edward Hopper, Louise Nevelson, Chuck Close, and Julian Schnabel.

As its success is shown through presence in museums, marketplaces, and the media, modern art has inspired a revolt against its most cherished standards and beliefs. In Revenge of the Philistines, Kramer argues that the new breed of trendy curators, artists, and critics have taken to celebrating the mediocre in art, as opposed to the “the high purposes and moral grandeur” modernist art is supposed to embody.

Giving a scathing account of the postmodern era while appraising the achievements of today’s most important artists, this book celebrates those who, in the face of our age’s pressures and ambiguities, offer a promise for the future of high art.

Hilton Kramer was co-editor and publisher of The New Criterion. He was also an editor of Arts Magazine and an art critic for The Nation and The New York Times. Some of his most recent writings include The Triumph of Modernism and The Twilight of the Intellectuals: Culture and Politics in the Era of the Cold War. Kramer passed away in 2012.