{"product_id":"artifacts-to-art","title":"Artifacts to Art","description":"\u003cp\u003eBy\n  the mid-twentieth century, ancient Mexican artifacts had undergone a striking\n  transformation. Once dismissed as anthropological curiosities, sought after\n  more for their ethnographic value than aesthetic merit, they had become\n  prized artworks that were prominently displayed in major US museums, featured\n  in advertisements and Hollywood films, and shown adorning the homes of\n  celebrities.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAt the center of this shift was Earl\n  Stendahl, a savvy Los Angeles art dealer who played a pivotal role in shaping\n  public and institutional perceptions of these objects. Through strategic\n  marketing and a keen eye for opportunity, he repositioned these artifacts,\n  selling them to an elite clientele that included movie stars, wealthy\n  collectors, and museum curators. In doing so, he helped define a new canon of\n  \"ancient American art.\"\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBeneath this glamorous facade,\n  however, lies a darker narrative of the looting, smuggling, and forgery that\n  fueled this midcentury craze, exposing how the desire for authenticity and\n  prestige often came at the expense of ethical collecting practices and\n  cultural heritage. This book brings together art history, museum studies, and\n  the politics of the antiquities trade, offering both a social history and a\n  critical examination of how ancient Mexico's past was sold in\n  twentieth-century America.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Getty Trust Publications","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57260694995288,"sku":"9798887120287","price":32.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9798887120287.jpg?v=1778388395","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/artifacts-to-art","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}