A Noble Madness: The Dark Side of Collecting from Antiquity to Now

by James Delbourgo

Collectors are often praised for their taste in art or contributions to science, but there can be a darker side: their passion is sometimes driven by dangerous obsession. Roman emperors who lusted after statues; Chinese scholars obsessed with rocks and flowers; fin de si cle dandies surrounded by bibelots. History is full of stories about those who love things more than people, presenting a danger either to themselves or others. In this sweeping...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393541967
• ISBN13: 9780393541960
• Release Date: August 2025
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 288 Pages