Sebastian Smee sounds terrific and is new to me - I love the sound of "The art of rivalry". I'm so glad you have rediscovered the enjoyment of good art/art history writing. I like what Smee says about the importance of relationships with artists - and I think this helps with getting into art history and large art museums - not to be overwhelmed but to just pick one artist, find out a bit about them - and naturally, their friends come into view and you end up learning about many artists. But it can begin with one artist or one excellent writer on a theme whose enthusiasm fosters your interest.
