Double Vision: The Unerring Eye of Art World Avatars Dominique and John de Menil Hardcover – Deckle Edge, March 27, 2018

Jean and Dominique de Menil give new meaning to art lovers. This magnificent couple wound their way from France, and we’re talking deep roots, both families who went back centuries, all the way to Houston, developed a deep love for modern art, not just as collectors but true patrons, which evolved into so much more. Their love for each other, their adopted city, their history, their spirituality, their family business (Schlumberger, we’re talking oil), which Jean (who later changed his name to John) became an integral part of, their extreme wealth and how they used it to benefit others, their interests beyond the arts, their lifelong relationships with artists, dealers, museum directors, and important leaders, is described at length in William Middleton’s biography DOUBLE VISION.This book is chock full of history spanning the globe. Beginning with how Dominique Schlumberger met Jean de Menil at a party at Versailles. The stuff of fairy tales. Their art collection began with a Cezanne watercolor that Jean purchased on a business trip to New York for the shocking price of $300.Once the couple discovered their love of art, shortly after World War II, after they fled France for the US, with a few years in Caracas, which developed as they were educated by a Dominican priest, they went all in. Wherever their travels took them, and they took them all over, they would meet an artist, usually undiscovered, and purchase paintings, sketches, photography, sculptures, and more, for, at the time, at minimal cost, and showcase them at their homes around the world – their family estate outside of Paris, pied-à-terre in Paris, townhouse in Manhattan, and house in Venezuela while Jean was establishing the Schlumberger business in South America, and then their temporary home in Houston, soon to become their Philip Johnson-designed and permanent home. Not only is this house a stand-out structure that showcases their art and you can only imagine how the folks in Houston first responded to it at the time it was built, but you can also imagine the original shock that Mr. Johnson felt when Charles James, yes the dress designer, whom the de Menils chose to design the interior, which made poor Mr. Johnson almost turn the job down. It is a contrast that only these two could pull off. At one point, their collection consisted of 10,000 works of art, relationships with the likes of Rothko, Picasso, Ernst, Rauschenberg, Magritte, deKooning, Warhol, and many, many more.Not only did the de Menils establish an art history program at a local university, which was later moved to Rice University, they funded the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, was involved with the Pompidou Center in Paris, eventually the Rothko Chapel and its supporting programs, which brought leading religious leaders and programs to Houston, a prominent statue dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr., which led to their lifetime support of the civil rights movement and arts programs and exhibitions that were the first of their kind in museums. It was The Image of the Black in Western Art archive in 1960 at Rice University that garnered national attention and was probably the de Menil’s most ambitious effort and showcased the couple’s dedication to civil rights as well. Eventually, the de Menils, after Jean’s death, brought their vast collection to a museum, a dream come true, designed by Renzo Piano, which is their gift to the public.I am so taken with this book but most of all absolutely astounded with what this couple did for the artists they met and came to know, their appreciation for art, their open and generous hearts, and how they came to create one of the most significant collections, which is now available for all to see, and for free. The book does such a wonderful job telling their story, the only thing missing is that I must go to Houston to visit the Menil Collection (they dropped the ‘de’) museum. It is currently closed for renovation through the end of the summer. In the meantime, I will be doing everything I can to learn more about their art collection. I just ordered this lovely book, A MODERN PATRONAGE: DE MENIL GIFTS TO AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN MUSEUMS.

I have visited many times the Menil collection and the Rothko Chapel. This book changed the way I see and feel about this places. The detail and research of this book is spectacular.

Superb, well-researched and elegantly written, the life-story of the de Menils, an Americanized, French, rich, Catholic/Protestant, severely austere, patrician family, which, driven by the discovery of the religious, spiritual and uplifting power of contemporary art, collected extensively, exhibited their collection in a scholarly manner and for public enjoyment, against a contextual background of antiquities and ethnographic objects, using their art to defend civic and human rights and international peace processes. Mind boggling! Must be read in conjunction with " From Art to Activism", not a biography but a collection of essays about the de Menils illustrating different facets of their philosophy and approach to art. A Must!

I want to salute the incredible accomplishment that is this book. Through painstaking research William Middleton has captured two of the most remarkable, accomplished and unique characters I have encountered. Jean and Dominique DeMenil were not only important philanthropists who helped build Houston and change the world, they were innovators and an inspiration to all those who aspire to lives well lived nourished by ideas, culture and humane values. This is not just another book on the Dynasty set; it is a moving and stunningly researched piece of biography that ranges from fascinating French history to art, architecture and more. Yet finally it is a love story. William Middleton has shown us so many beautiful things. Heartily recommend.

You can’t say enough about Dominique de Menil. She transformed everything she touched and made it greater than it was before. She was the best thing that ever happened to John de Menil. She was the best thing that ever happened to Houston, Texas. And she was probably the best thing that happened to art and spirituality in the 20th Century. And aside from all of that, she was a really lovely person with a great sense of humor who was a lot of fun to be around.

Amazing book, amazing story, brilliantly researched and a delight to read. Highly recommend! Anyone interested in the life and times of Modern and Contemporary art in America and the history of Houston should read this wonderful biography!

Ceci n’est pas une pipe! This is not a review!Mr. Middleton has written a disaster! No, not the English word, but, bien sur, the French words, des astres (FROM THE STARS!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)A work of art that you will need to read (OBSERVE) for yourself, hence the 'not a review', as Ms. Dominique would not want any comment on a work of art.I have been reading it all the long Easter weekend and it is 'not bad'!

Oh I loved this book! William Middleton is a terrific writer... I couldn’t put it down. A good exciting intelligent read.

One of the best dual biographies of recent times. This is a riveting account of a singularly wealthy, artistic and philanthropic couple, who continue to leave an indelible mark on the international art world long after their deaths. The story of Schlumberger Limited, the de Menil family and the astonishing Houston museum that bears their name is a work of prodigious research; and despite its occasionally wooden tone, a memorable work for the culturally inclined. Warmly recommended.

Excellent service. Arrived as expected.

Very good

Grand livre sur de grandes personnalités