September 1998 Volume 21 Number 1

A Timely Publication

Reflections in a Silver Spoon: A Memoir, Paul Mellon with John Baskett, publ. by John Murray Publishers, London, England. 1992 in Britain, [1998 in the U.S.]

Writing from the vantage of eighty-five years, Mr. Mellon, with his friend and art adviser John Baskett, creates vignettes of an extraordinary life. From the horrific tale of his parents' marriage through his searches for a happy and meaningful life for himself to his many philanthropies, the story is engaging, witty, impressive. In addition to service in World War II, counseling sessions with Carl Jung, and aristocratic equine pleasures, he describes the founding of the National Gallery of Art, many of its significant characters, and the 1977 painting conservation controversy there.

Christine Smith