Today I’ll write about the Menil Collection, which I always visit when I’m in Houston. “How do I write about perfection?” I thought, and why do I call it perfect? The art is the best of its kind, and, as a totality, the collection is bracing. And there’s no sheep bleating here. The exhibitions I saw were original and intellectually coherent. The building’s divine. A few years ago, I read William Middleton’s Double Vision, the authorized biography of husband and wife John (1904–1973) and Dominique de Menil (1908–1997), the founders, funders, and collectors who made the Menil. Both were charismatic and compelling.
The Menil still expresses their vision and goals, unlike many nonprofits whose masters shred their founding philanthropists as their corpses cool. The Menil’s production values are high. These are among the ingredients in that museological dish we call perfect. I recommend Double Vision for its lifestyles-of-the-rich-and famous vibe, though a smart, observant one, and also for its dive into the oil business in which John was a titan.
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