Sterling Clark cultivated his Homer collection over almost four decades. Throughout, he faced constant choices: did an available work add to the collection? Should things already bought be sold? The collection as it stands today tells much about Clark's tastes and ambitions. 

But so do things not in the collection. Of course, every collector works within limits. Even Clark—who had the talent, the seriousness of purpose, and the resources—coveted objects that were unavailable or that exceeded his self-imposed limits. His writings, however, reveal that he opted not to acquire works that, to today's eyes, would have created a more representative overview of Homer's achievement: early paintings of Civil War and Reconstruction subjects, for example, and late watercolors of Florida and the Caribbean. He sold at least three Homer works, too—although he bought one back in 1954. All these decisions enrich our view of this gifted collector.