The Whole Picture: The colonial story of the art in our museums & why we need to talk about it Paperback – June 1, 2021

Alice Proctor initiated her career by posing as a docent at various London museums and giving what she calls, "Uncomfortable Art Tours". She wanted a more complete story of art to be told. She wanted visitors to know how artifacts or artworks were acquired; which ones were stolen during colonization or raids of other places. She wanted the collector's and donor's intentions to be understood and revealed. In the book, Procter examines individual artifacts, the museum industry, and methods of artistic expression in a very direct, unfaltering way. I liked her straightforward and timely approach. As an artist, and someone who works with art collections, the book inspired me to rethink my own cataloging methods and rethink past exhibits that I have attended. One thing that caught my attention in particular was the exhibiting of human remains and the fascination of that. Procter points out, that given the choice, many cultures would not want bodily remains to be on view.I lived in Virginia when I was young, and my parents took advantage of living there by frequently taking us to memorial sites and museums in Washington D.C. I remember my mother's excitement when the King Tut exhibit came to the National Gallery in 1976. We stood in line for four hours and my mother was so excited to see King Tut's mummy. There was a mummy featured on the promotional materials, and so of course we expected to see one. We traversed the whole entire exhibit and there was no mummy! Perhaps the museum recognized that it would not go over well to show a mummy to children, or they couldn't get permission from Egypt, or they couldn't afford it. Whatever the reason, I found it deceitful to show it on the brochure, and I noticed the staff dealt with some disgruntled people. My mother was politely disgruntled. However, it was not until I read The Whole Picture, that I considered that it would not be appropriate to display King Tut's remains.More recently, I attended the Genghis Khan exhibition, where I did see a mummified human female. Just out of curiosity, I did several online searches of this exhibit, and in almost all of them they show a photo of the mummy. I then wondered if a female in particular was chosen over a male. I also noticed an effort to paint a picture of Genghis Khan as an explorer who was attempting to unite peoples, rather than a marauding conqueror. All that being said, I would highly recommend seeing this exhibit, and I think Procter would as well. What I took away from this book, was not that I should feel guilty about being fascinated by mummification, but that there is more to learn about this person and their life, culture, and death ritual.

I found this book immensely informative and for that reason am giving it four stars.I always thought museums acquired, conserved and exhibited various cultural artifacts for purposes of education, study and general enlightenment. Not true. It turns out museums are actively engaged in nothing less than cultural genocide. Their collections are forever tainted with traumatic histories. And those who dare visit them are complicit in the violence of appropriation. Nay, to even gaze upon such objects is itself a violent act.According to the author--a self-styled "art historian" who in real life is a sometime museum tour guide working on her Master's degree--it turns out there is almost nothing than can be done to save these wretched places. Historically donors have only acted out of the most insidious of motives. They were all white, wealthy, arrogant and controlling. They donated their collections to assert their own power and prestige...and, of course, to corrupt the minds of future generations of young, unsuspecting school children who might be docilely led (most likely in single file) through their evil establishments.To make her point the author goes after some rather easy targets: A few embarrassing paintings formerly the property of The East India Company which are now hidden somewhere within the confines of the British Foreign Office, various items looted or plundered by Captain Cook on his various sea voyages and a third-rate allegorical painting featuring Queen Victoria in all her colonial and imperial grandeur.If one wonders what can possibly be going through the minds of those mobs who are currently pulling down, destroying or desecrating commemorative statuary in the United States this book is both helpful and instructive. Their basic view and that of the author is that the general public cannot be trusted to figure things out for themselves. The masses must be educated and re-educated through constant shaming and indoctrination. Everything must be explained to them in the proper context. This book offers a preview as to how the war currently being waged on the streets outside of museums will eventually be fought inside the walls of those very same museums.

Knowledgeable tour of art filling in the rest of the story. Changed the way I look at western art.

Dense in the way many art history books are, however well worth the read. It’s a part of an important conversation in art history about how colonialism is still very present in museums and galleries.

Great book, it is now part of my resource collection. A good way of teaching historical accuracy and missing narratives for so many communities and underserved populations.

So pleased I read it and hoping Alice Procter will continue to write more books.Thoughtful and inspiring well-written book.

Somewhat unwieldy writing but a thought provoking topic. A book about artwork should have photos of some of the artwork, and the author does reference photos and even cites page numbers, but there are none in the book. I have the paperback, perhaps the photos were dropped for this edition? The lack of photos makes the book less compelling.

Item as described. Fast delivery. Great buy.

De cover is gescheurd. Hij is zo verzonden, want in de verpakking ligt geen los materiaal. Schandalig.

Wandering through halls of exhibits wont be the same again after reading this book. The author shines her spotlight on the way museums are curated and explorers are lauded.I visited the Maritime museum in Greenwich soon after I read it, and was much more enlightened about the collection thanks to the authors many examples and critical evaluations of how we marvel at objects that in fact are steeped in dark history of violence and theft. It's a fascinating read

I can't recommend this book more. Well-researched book which is imperative for all art industry professionals to read to understand their responsibility in decolonising our way of thinking as well as how we approach our work. Eye-opening, educational, enjoyable to read (although tough at times) and the author writes in a very accessible way.

Ein gut geschriebenes Buch zu einem wichtigen Thema. Dass in der Taschenbuch-Ausgabe die für das Verständnis des Textes absolut notwendigen Abbildungen nicht enhalten sind, ist allerdings hochgradig ärgerlich.