THE ENCHANTMENT OF ART — DUNCAN PHILLIPS — 1927 FIRST REVISED EDITION — INSCRIBED PRESENTATION COPY TO ELIZABETH HUDSON

The Enchantment of Art: As Part of the Enchantment of Experience Fifteen Years Later, by Duncan Phillips. 268 pages. New essays and illustrations.

Of particular significance is a handwritten presentation inscription on the front flyleaf, apparently from Duncan Phillips, reading:

"To Elizabeth from Marjorie and Duncan. June 2nd 1930." An additional pencil notation identifies the recipient as Elizabeth Hudson and describes the book as a first printing of the revised edition.

Duncan Phillips (1886–1966) was the founder of the Phillips Memorial Gallery, established in Washington, D.C., in 1921 and now internationally celebrated as the Phillips Collection, America's first museum of modern art. His wife, Marjorie Acker Phillips (1894–1985), was an accomplished artist who played an essential role in the museum's development.

The recipient, Elizabeth Hudson (1880–1973), was herself a notable figure with documented connections to the Phillips Collection. A writer, social worker, and humanitarian, Hudson served on the museum's Committee on Publications. Her portrait, painted in 1914 by Augustus Vincent Tack, is held by the Phillips Collection.

The relationship between Hudson and Duncan Phillips extended over many years. Archival correspondence from 1953 documents Phillips's efforts to secure recognition for Hudson's humanitarian work benefiting France, including her service dating to the First World War.

This historical connection gives the June 1930 inscription particular significance. Rather than an ordinary autograph, the book appears to be a personal presentation from Duncan and Marjorie Phillips to a woman directly involved in the intellectual and cultural activities surrounding their museum.

The book itself is an engaging collection of essays examining the emotional, aesthetic, and philosophical dimensions of art. Phillips explores the relationship between artistic expression and human experience, emphasizing the power of painting to communicate beauty, imagination, and feeling. His writings illuminate the philosophy that guided his collecting and helped establish the Phillips Collection as an influential institution in American modern art.

The volume is illustrated with reproductions of works of art, including a frontispiece depicting The Defeat of the Cimbri by Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps.

Published 1927 by Phillips Publications, Washington, DC. Very good condition. Bright cover, firm binding, strong hinges and clean text.