In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

ix This book is the culmination of a long road of scholarly pursuit that started almost a dozen years ago—ever since Savva Mamontov had materialized in my head, quite unexpectedly, one memorable October afternoon. I would like to note a few individuals who helped me along on that journey. First, my thanks go to Margarita L. Mazo, who in a typically brilliant flash of inspiration first linked Mamontov and Diaghilev in my mind, and to Myroslava Mudrak, who taught me to love and even comprehend modernist art—a skill without which this project would have never been realized. To Charles M. Atkinson and Tama I. Kott, who read more versions of Mamontov-related papers, articles, and manuscript drafts than I (or they) would care to remember, I offer my deepest apologies. I am grateful to Barbara Haggh-Huglo, Dan Zimmerman, David Haas, Lynn Garafola, and Malcolm H. Brown for their helpful editorial suggestions, and to Jane Behnken at Indiana University Press for her prompt and cheerful assistance. I would also like to acknowledge the University of Maryland Graduate School, whose summer research grant was invaluable in completing the book and purchasing publication permissions for its plates. Finally, I wish to thank Mr. Savva Ivanovich Mamontov and his colorful cohort of students, associates, allies, and critics, who even after so many years of rather close acquaintance, never failed to impress, fascinate, and inspire me. I hope I did them justice. Acknowledgments ...

Share