Art dealer, publisher, and writer Karsten Schubert traces the concept of the museum from the opening of the Louvre, through to the mid-20th century shift from heralding ancient work to supporting living artists, to the current popularity of buildings by ''starchitects.'' This landmark third edition adds a provocative essay, ''Democracy of Spectacle,'' discussing the recent trend of museums adopting a populist and income-based business model. Schubert includes an engrossing history of the Metropolitan Museum and MoMA from 1930-1950, and of the unprecedented success of museums in the 1980s and 1990s in Europe and the United States. This unique volume will completely change the way you look at museums.