Cocktails with a Curator  (English, Hardcover, Salomon Xavier F.)

Based on the critically acclaimed video series of the same name, Cocktails with a Curator presents a lively, relaxed, and informative mini-lecture on a single work in the Frick s collection. Most of the works discussed are paintings, but sculpture, drawings, and decorative arts objects are also subjects. Each commentary is accompanied by a recipe for a cocktail that ties in with the work presented. For instance, a Jaded Countess (absinthe, vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup) is the cocktail paired with Ingres s beautiful portrait Comtesse d Haussonville. The Bloody Mary joins the intriguing story of the painting of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger, and a classic Pimm s Cup accompanies Thomas Gainsborough s lovely depiction of Grace Dalrymple Elliott. The inspiring and knowledgeable personalities of the curators come out with each of the sixty-five tales, all edited with an eye toward maintaining the tone of the videos.