This is the story of Paul Rosenberg, one of pre-World War II France’s most influential and knowledgeable art dealers, as told by his granddaughter, Anne Sinclair. Rosenberg was hailed as a pioneer in the world of modern art, exhibiting artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Braque and Leger at his Paris gallery. With the German occupation of France in 1942, Rosenberg, as a Jew, was forced to flee France, leaving his artwork behind to be confiscated by the Nazis. The story is historically significant, but it is also interesting to see the man and his life discovered and revealed through the eyes of his granddaughter. In addition to her personal remembrances of her grandfather, the book draws largely on an archive of family papers, including a large trove of correspondence with Picasso. The Rosenberg family, feeling fortunate to have escaped with their lives, settled in New York after leaving France and were eventually able to retrieve some of the art that was taken from them.
Anne Sinclair is one of France’s best-known journalists. She is currently the editorial director of Le Huffington Post (France) and was previously the host of 7 sur 7, a weekly news and politics television show.