Passion for art: Essays on art with Russian roots

A unique peek into the mind of a research mathematician on his journey as an art collector. In a series of captivating narratives, the world-renowned Israeli mathematician Vitali Milman recounts how he became an art collector, shares his observations on Russian modern art, and reveals untold tragic stories of better known and lesser known artists.Born in USSR, his early fascination with art started with the Russian Avant Garde, which was forbidden to public display at the time.

Seeking art was a subversive activity, and one could experience art only in private collections through discreet connections and personal relationships with the artists. Those encounters, often engrossing and tragic, he recounts in this book.The author’s light style easily holds the reader’s attention.

These stories, which could have been told in the salon over a cup of coffee, contain many little-known facts and unexpected personal observations with sometimes even more unexpected conclusions.As a mathematician, Prof.

Milman has travelled all over the world and never missed an art museum or a meeting with an art collector.