This is unfortunately here a "profession of faith" advantage than a real reference on the history (which for an art historian is amazing). The nostalgia of a divine art and a universal art. It's a shame because the work is enormous and fishing by a lack of serious references and a sum of subjective statements unexplained or put into perspective historically. As far as the intention of the subject is interesting as his argument is poor and the final reports of the controversy and a political commitment and / or religious more than just art history (which incidentally are of course mixed). On the same subject read the excellent "The invention of Bohemian Life" by Luc Ferry (right yet ...) but, it really shows how was born and where does this cultural movement, social and art, all in an objective and indisputable way. A didactic and indispensable book to better understand today's art (including contemporary art)