The architectural history of the Museum and the development of its superb collection is documented here for the first time. With a depth and vividness rarely encountered, Patricia Cummings Loud of the Museum reveals the fascinating interaction between architect and client that gave birth to Louis Kahn's uniquely successful structure. Both color and black and white photographs of the building are included, as well as Kahn's architectural drawings, plans, and selected correspondence.
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From the outset, it was the Kimbell's policy "to form collections of the highest possible aesthetic quality, derived from any and all periods in man's history, and in any medium or style." The result is a growing body of works whose range and excellence is demonstrated in 246 chronologically arranged color plates that span the ages from antiquity to the early twentieth century... Each of the plates is accompanied by a commentary written by the Museum's curatorial staff, illuminating the historical and aesthetic significance of the work shown.
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In Pursuit of Quality is an absorbing account of the development of the art and architecture of a museum whose widening influence belies its relatively brief history.