Although few of us can relate to the rarefied worlds of wealthy Jewish art collectors during the French Third Republic, two recent books reinforce some profound lessons there are to learn from their experiences.

In “The Vanished Collection,” Pauline Baer de Perignon records her investigation into the legacy of her Frankfurt-born great-grandfather, Jules Strauss, who moved to Paris in 1881 and became a notable figure in the art world. The book is translated from French by Natasha Lehrer.