Monday, May 21, 2007
Great exhibit at the Glenbow Museum
The Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Alberta has a great exhibit that is just about to close entitled Egypt, Greece and Rome: Art of the Ancient Mediterranean World. There's a nice description and a few photos. The exhibit closes on June 3, 2007. So if you are in Calgary in the coming weeks, I'd recommend you go to the Glenbow and see it.
The Kings of Benin
Interesting exhibit at Vienna's Kunsthistoriches Museum on ivory and bronze sculptures from the West African kingdom of Benin, which is located in modern-day Nigeria. Well worth looking at here.
A round-up of Apollo Magazine
Some great articles have been posted on Apollo Magazine's website, including:
* Stephen Dyson on Greek and Roman art
* Christopher Woodward on saving Britain's gardening heritage
* Andrew Hopkins's review of an exhibition of Tintoretto
All can be accessed here.
* Stephen Dyson on Greek and Roman art
* Christopher Woodward on saving Britain's gardening heritage
* Andrew Hopkins's review of an exhibition of Tintoretto
All can be accessed here.
Michelangelo in detail
Art Scholar has been recently updated with a link to a series of articles (written by the website's author, Simon Abrahams) on Michelangelo's art and composition. Here's the first part, which discusses Michelangelo's eyes.
Shrek the Third = $122 million
It looks like the third instalment of Shrek is going to break a lot of box office records. For example, it took in $122 million (US) in its opening weekend - a record for animated films. Can you say, "Oscar?"
Disappearance...and re-appearance
My apologies for the lack of posts this month. I'll try to do better...honest! : )
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Description de L'Egypte
Beaux Arts, based in Dallas, Texas, has an upcoming exhibit entitled Description de L’Egypte, the story of The Napoleonic Survey of Egypt. It will consist of 87 original prints from this publication, which was well respected by artists and collectors alike. Art Daily has a link.
Hamas and Mickey Mouse
This is one for the ages. Hamas has a children's show on Al Aqsa TV that has a Mickey Mouse-like character teaching children to support Islamic fundamentalism and repudiate the U.S., Israel and other western democratic ideals. A number of links have been eliminated as of late, but here's one that still remains.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
A tale of two cities minus one city equals a tale of one city
This is not a good idea. Orion Books is going to reprint some literary classics by Tolstoy, Dickens and Thackeray in slimmed down versions. Called compact editions, Orion Group publisher Malcolm Edwards said, "We realised that life is too short to read all the books you want to and we never were going to read these ones."
Nice try, but that's not the issue.
To understand and appreciate great literature, you have to read the entire book, and not just a Coles Notes-like version. While it may appeal to people who don't have time to read classics like Anna Karenina or War and Peace, you won't get the full flavour of the book or the great writing style inside it.
In other words, I say make the effort and read the original text.
Nice try, but that's not the issue.
To understand and appreciate great literature, you have to read the entire book, and not just a Coles Notes-like version. While it may appeal to people who don't have time to read classics like Anna Karenina or War and Peace, you won't get the full flavour of the book or the great writing style inside it.
In other words, I say make the effort and read the original text.
Music in the church...walls?
A father-son team, Stuart and Tommy Mitchell, claim to have discovered a musical code in some carvings in Scotland's Rosslyn Chapel. The 15th century chapel was featured in Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code," and has attracted many visitors since that time.
The Mitchells said that they discovered a series of figures which they called an "orchestra of angels" among the carvings. According to Tommy Mitchell,
"We were convinced from the position at the top of the pillars of the angels and they are all directly under the arches where the cubes occur that there was music there. We got clues from other books as well. Over the years this became more of an obsession than anything else and we decided we had to find out what was going on. If these patterns and cubes had not contained music anything we turned up would have been purely random and would not have sounded hauntily beautiful."
The music will be performed in May at a concert in the chapel.
It's still too early to accept the validity of the Mitchells' claim. But if it is ultimately verified, it will be an astonishing story. Plus, it will lead people to find out if other churches around the world also carry these types of secret music compositions or inscriptions.
The Mitchells said that they discovered a series of figures which they called an "orchestra of angels" among the carvings. According to Tommy Mitchell,
"We were convinced from the position at the top of the pillars of the angels and they are all directly under the arches where the cubes occur that there was music there. We got clues from other books as well. Over the years this became more of an obsession than anything else and we decided we had to find out what was going on. If these patterns and cubes had not contained music anything we turned up would have been purely random and would not have sounded hauntily beautiful."
The music will be performed in May at a concert in the chapel.
It's still too early to accept the validity of the Mitchells' claim. But if it is ultimately verified, it will be an astonishing story. Plus, it will lead people to find out if other churches around the world also carry these types of secret music compositions or inscriptions.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven
It just occurred to me that some AdT readers might not be familiar with the McMichael Art Gallery.
The best place to start is here, which has an overview of the collection.
That being said, I would highly recommend that you spend most of your time looking through the prominent Group of Seven collection here. (You can also learn more about Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven here.) It's the reason why most people visit Kleinburg each and every year, although the village itself is very nice.
The best place to start is here, which has an overview of the collection.
That being said, I would highly recommend that you spend most of your time looking through the prominent Group of Seven collection here. (You can also learn more about Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven here.) It's the reason why most people visit Kleinburg each and every year, although the village itself is very nice.
Barbara A. Tyler, RIP
I once met Barbara Tyler when she was the executive director and CEO of the McMichael Art Gallery in Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada. I didn't agree with her position on what constitutes art, but her knowledge and passion for Canadian art was undeniable. Here is a short, 2-page summary of Tyler's life and accomplishments. RIP.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Charlie Brown and Charlotte Braun, together again
Fantagraphic Books, a leading comics publisher, has revealed its cover for Free Comic Book Day on May 5. (h/t - Nat Gertler of AAUGH.com)
The character on the right is easy to identify - Charlie Brown. But the character on the left, Charlotte Braun, has up until recently been the source of trivia questions and the like.
Braun was introduced in Peanuts on November 30. 1954. She was supposed to be a female Charlie Brown of sorts, except that she was loud and noisy. Although she looks very much like Brown, she also ressembles the character Frieda and has traits that are similar to Lucy.
But Charles M. Schulz, the creator of Peanuts, quickly tired of his new character. He claimed to have "run out of ideas" for Charlotte Braun, and didn't feel her mannerisms were fully developed. Thus, she was removed from the comic strip on February 1, 1955 after a grand total of 10 appearances.
In 2000, an AP news article revealed that a fan of Schulz's, Elizabeth Swaim, wrote to the cartoonist with some friends asking for the removal of Charlotte Braun. Schulz - who was already tired of the character - wrote back to Swaim on Jan. 5, 1955, stating "I am taking your suggestion regarding Charlotte Braun and will eventually discard her."
Schulz went on to say, "Remember, however, that you and your friends will have the death of an innocent child on your conscience. Are you prepared to accept such responsibility?" And at the bottom of the handwritten letter is a drawing of Charlotte Braun with an ax in her head.
The original letter was donated by Swaim to the Library of Congress two months after Schulz died. It can be seen here. And in an unusual twist of fate, Swaim died three weeks later.
For the most part, Charlotte Braun was a forgotten character in Peanuts. However, the reprint of the strips in The Complete Peanuts, Volume 2: 1953-1954 and The Complete Peanuts, Volume 3: 1955-1956 - both published by Fantagraphics - generated new interest. Hence, the cover displayed in this blog post.
One wonders if Charles M. Schulz is rolling in his grave.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Faberge is more than eggs, y'know
The picture above is a 2 1/4-inch Faberge chair made of gold and enamel. It sold for $2.28 million at a Sotheby's auction on April 17, well above the estimate of $1 million.
Yes, the Russian jeweler Carl Fabrege was more well known for his brilliantly designed eggs. The most well known collector was the late Malcolm S. Forbes, founder of Forbes and the father of Steve Forbes. (The entire collection was sold in 2004.) But Faberge also made clocks, desk pieces, silverware and jewelery, among other things.
Jane Austen painting doesn't sell at auction
A while back, I mentioned that a painting that some believe is the only known portrait of Jane Austen (see above) was up for sale. The painter was Ozias Humphry, and the seller was Henry Rice, a distant relative of the late English novelist.
Well, I just read that the painting - occasionally known as The Rice Portrait of Jane Austen - did not reach the owner's minimum price. Christie's had expected the painting to fetch between $400,000-800,000.
Surprising? Yes, especially because art auctions and sales are on the rise these days. I thought that the minimum price - which has been kept secret - would have at least been reached.
So, I guess the long-standing controversy over the identity of the woman in the painting turned off more prospective buyers rather than encouraged them to take a gamble on what could be an original portrait of Austen.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Give like Santa, save like Scrooge
When I was researching the Charles Dickens theme park blog entry, I started thinking about the popular line from the Canadian Tire Christmas ads, "Give like Santa, save like Scrooge."
The ads were based on Dickens' classic tale, "A Christmas Carol."
They were corny, but I miss them.
It's a theme park, Mr. Scrooge. Bah, humbug!
Believe it or not, a 70,000 square foot warehouse near London is going to become a Charles Dickens-inspired theme park. It will be called Dickens World, and the total cost of building this unique theme park will be $125 million. Opening day is May 25, 2007.
According to the article, "Visitors who pay the $25 admission charge — $15 for children — will have the chance to see the Ghost of Christmas Past in Ebeneezer Scrooge's haunted house, be hectored by a schoolmaster at Dotheboys Hall — the dismal school from "Nicholas Nickleby" — and peer into the fetid cells of notorious Newgate Prison."
Dickens World has an official website, and looks like it is really going to try to become a main attraction in the UK.
Now, to be fair, the theme park has already had a major problem. Opening day was supposed to have been this week, but due to a glitch with the "4D animatronic theater show" about Dickens' life and work, it's been delayed a month.
Does this mean anything for the future? Only time will tell. But for now, there are still (if you'll pardon the pun) great expectations about Dickens World.
According to the article, "Visitors who pay the $25 admission charge — $15 for children — will have the chance to see the Ghost of Christmas Past in Ebeneezer Scrooge's haunted house, be hectored by a schoolmaster at Dotheboys Hall — the dismal school from "Nicholas Nickleby" — and peer into the fetid cells of notorious Newgate Prison."
Dickens World has an official website, and looks like it is really going to try to become a main attraction in the UK.
Now, to be fair, the theme park has already had a major problem. Opening day was supposed to have been this week, but due to a glitch with the "4D animatronic theater show" about Dickens' life and work, it's been delayed a month.
Does this mean anything for the future? Only time will tell. But for now, there are still (if you'll pardon the pun) great expectations about Dickens World.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Cartoons of FDR
Here's some proof that you can start researching one thing on the Internet, and end up with something completely different.
I was catching up on the Conrad Black trial in Chicago this afternoon. The best analysis is Mark Steyn's daily blog at Maclean's, with Steven Skurka's blog a close second.
It was at that point I started thinking about Black's multi-million dollar purchase of a collection of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's papers at auction. I began searching for arts-related FDR material to post on the blog, and ended up with a most interesting subject.
I found a link to the FDR Cartoon Archive. There are more than 2,400 cartoons on this site between 1932-1943. It is part of the Basil O'Conner collection in the Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum (O'Conner and FDR were law partners).
The site hasn't been updated since 1998, but it's an incredible research tool. I may post a couple of FDR cartoons when I get a chance.
It's amazing what you can find on the Internet, don't you think?
I was catching up on the Conrad Black trial in Chicago this afternoon. The best analysis is Mark Steyn's daily blog at Maclean's, with Steven Skurka's blog a close second.
It was at that point I started thinking about Black's multi-million dollar purchase of a collection of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's papers at auction. I began searching for arts-related FDR material to post on the blog, and ended up with a most interesting subject.
I found a link to the FDR Cartoon Archive. There are more than 2,400 cartoons on this site between 1932-1943. It is part of the Basil O'Conner collection in the Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum (O'Conner and FDR were law partners).
The site hasn't been updated since 1998, but it's an incredible research tool. I may post a couple of FDR cartoons when I get a chance.
It's amazing what you can find on the Internet, don't you think?
The Louvre database
I've seen the Louvre a few times over the years, and it is always a pleasure to visit the museum. But if you can't go, there are other ways to see many of the paintings in the collection. The best way is through Atlas, which contains around 30,000 works of art and the exact location in the Louvre. (A small word of warning - all searches must be done in French, so type the name of the artist if you can't speak the language.) For example, here is the web page for Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa (1503-1506).
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
A short note about Virigina Tech
Although Art de Triomphe is a blog about the arts, I occasionally bring in other topics if I feel they are warranted.
The tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech on April 16 certainly fits in this category.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the 32 individuals who lost their lives yesterday, as well their families and friends.
(The image above comes from Instapundit. I think it says it all.)
Oldest church in North America
Evan Jones, a researcher at the University of Bristol, may have discovered the geographical location of the oldest church in North America. According to an article in Historical Research, the remains appear to be located beneath the ground in Carbonear, Newfoundland.
Jones' discovery, however, appears to have been a brilliant stroke of luck.
Incredibly, the story begins with Alwyn Ruddock, a historian at the University of London and expert of the explorer John Cabot's voyages. Ruddock passed away in 2005, and according to her will, all her research was destroyed, "including 40 years' worth of work for a book about the many mysteries surrounding Cabot's maligned 1498 expedition" to Newfoundland.
Yet, a book proposal and some e-mail correspondence between Ruddock and her publisher remained in the public domain. This allowed Jones to continue Ruddock's work and legacy with respect to the 1498 voyage.
According to Jones, "It appears that Ruddock believed the Newfoundland church was named after San Giovanni a Carbonara...the locative element 'a Carbonara' presumably being carried across because it was key to the congregation's identity." While the book proposal and e-mails do not include any documented evidence, this information will be of great help to historians.
Why did Ruddock destroy her work in the first place? There doesn't appear to be answer. Jones was quoted as saying, "Even if all the documents she claimed to have found do come to light eventually, the mystery of why she sought to suppress her own basic research may never be resolved."
If anyone wants to read Jones' entire article on Ruddock's work, it is available - for free - online at the Historical Research website. Follow this link, and look for the article entitled "Alwyn Ruddock: 'John Cabot and the Discovery of America.'
Jones' discovery, however, appears to have been a brilliant stroke of luck.
Incredibly, the story begins with Alwyn Ruddock, a historian at the University of London and expert of the explorer John Cabot's voyages. Ruddock passed away in 2005, and according to her will, all her research was destroyed, "including 40 years' worth of work for a book about the many mysteries surrounding Cabot's maligned 1498 expedition" to Newfoundland.
Yet, a book proposal and some e-mail correspondence between Ruddock and her publisher remained in the public domain. This allowed Jones to continue Ruddock's work and legacy with respect to the 1498 voyage.
According to Jones, "It appears that Ruddock believed the Newfoundland church was named after San Giovanni a Carbonara...the locative element 'a Carbonara' presumably being carried across because it was key to the congregation's identity." While the book proposal and e-mails do not include any documented evidence, this information will be of great help to historians.
Why did Ruddock destroy her work in the first place? There doesn't appear to be answer. Jones was quoted as saying, "Even if all the documents she claimed to have found do come to light eventually, the mystery of why she sought to suppress her own basic research may never be resolved."
If anyone wants to read Jones' entire article on Ruddock's work, it is available - for free - online at the Historical Research website. Follow this link, and look for the article entitled "Alwyn Ruddock: 'John Cabot and the Discovery of America.'
Monday, April 16, 2007
Identities in Jan Steen painting revealed
In 2004, the Rijksmuseum in Holland purchased a Jan Steen painting entitled 'A burgomaster of Delft and his daughter' (1655). Since the purchase, the true identities of the two individuals have been questioned in the international art community. Well, the mystery has just been solved. Two researchers from the University of Amsterdam, Profs. Frans Grijzenhout and Niek van Sas, have discovered the true identities of the man and girl: burgher Adolf Croeser and his daughter Catharina. Read the whole story here, and take a look at the online special Steen's and Croeser's world on the right-hand side.
A new Van Gogh found...in Croatia?!
According to Artdaily, a new Vincent Van Gogh painting may have been discovered the basement of a museum in Zagreb, Croatia. The painting has never been mentioned before, and still has to be authenticated. A museum spokesman, Darko Glavan, believes it is real and was probably painted around 1882. If it is a real Van Gogh, it will be an astonishing story. As well, I'd like to know how this painting found its way to Croatia!
Ren and Stimpy Lives!
Do you remember the groundbreaking animated series The Ren and Stimpy Show? Well, it turns out that the show's creator, John Kricfalusi, has his own blog (see here). I just discovered it, and it seems that Kricfalusi is using it as a tool to teach about animation techniques and history. It's worth a look, if you get a chance.
Sailing and law suits
Ever thought that sailing was a gentlemanly sport? Well, it is...unless you take the America's Cup into account. The 156-year-old challenge tournament has been involved in plenty of law suits and scandals. Take a look here for further evidence.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Jackie Robinson, Republican
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson stepped onto Ebbets Field for the Brooklyn Dodgers and broke the colour barrier in professional baseball. He went 0 for 3 that day against the Boston Braves.
It didn't matter. The former Negro League star had a stellar MLB career - a .311 batting average, NL MVP in 1949, and led the Dodgers to the 1955 World Series crown (their only one residing in Brooklyn).
Robinson deserves a lot of credit for his intelligence, good play and powerful role in changing baseball.
But here's something many people don't know - or like to ignore - about Robinson: He was a Republican, even during the JFK presidency and civil rights era. You can see some recent articles here and here for confirmation.
Now, to be fair, Robinson was a liberal Republican. He was a strong supporter of Nelson Rockefeller, and a strong opponent of Barry Goldwater. (Take a look at this, taken from his autobiography I Never Had It Made.) Although he passed away in 1972, it's probably fair to say that Robinson would have felt comfortable with Gerald Ford, and probably would have felt uncomfortable with George W. Bush.
Does it make a difference to Robinson's career that he was a Republican? No. He would have been admired whether he was a Republican, Democrat or non-partisan. Still, it's an interesting fact that the man who broke the colour barrier had a very open mind about politics.
It didn't matter. The former Negro League star had a stellar MLB career - a .311 batting average, NL MVP in 1949, and led the Dodgers to the 1955 World Series crown (their only one residing in Brooklyn).
Robinson deserves a lot of credit for his intelligence, good play and powerful role in changing baseball.
But here's something many people don't know - or like to ignore - about Robinson: He was a Republican, even during the JFK presidency and civil rights era. You can see some recent articles here and here for confirmation.
Now, to be fair, Robinson was a liberal Republican. He was a strong supporter of Nelson Rockefeller, and a strong opponent of Barry Goldwater. (Take a look at this, taken from his autobiography I Never Had It Made.) Although he passed away in 1972, it's probably fair to say that Robinson would have felt comfortable with Gerald Ford, and probably would have felt uncomfortable with George W. Bush.
Does it make a difference to Robinson's career that he was a Republican? No. He would have been admired whether he was a Republican, Democrat or non-partisan. Still, it's an interesting fact that the man who broke the colour barrier had a very open mind about politics.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Eye surgery for recovered Munch paintings?
Munch Museum director Lise Mjos recently said that an eye surgeon may be needed to remove tiny pieces of glass from two famous Edvard Munch paintings - The Scream and Madonna. These paintings were stolen from the museum - in broad daylight - in late 2004 and were recovered on August 31, 2006. And it's going to cost a pretty penny to repair them. See for yourself.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Market trends for artists
In 1988, Artnet created a market performance report that tracks art valuation. A link on the website can be found here. It's pricey, but it certainly gives you a clear indication of how hot or cold the international art market is at times. And as you can see, a very extensive list of artists have been tracked.
Monday, April 9, 2007
NPG and the end of slavery in Britain
The National Portrait Gallery has an exhibition on the 200th anniversary of the Act to abolish the Slave Trade in Britain. Some paintings and portraits are available on NPG's website.
There is also a sidebar component on the website that goes through some of the history of slavery in Britain, and key individuals linked to Britain's slave trade. It was researched by Dr. Caroline Bressey of the University College in London. It's a nice addition to the exhibition, and well worth reading.
There is also a sidebar component on the website that goes through some of the history of slavery in Britain, and key individuals linked to Britain's slave trade. It was researched by Dr. Caroline Bressey of the University College in London. It's a nice addition to the exhibition, and well worth reading.
Canadian Art archive
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Friday, April 6, 2007
CBC cancels Opening Night
In Canada, there are very few televised performances of classical music ensembles, operas, ballets and so forth. CBC's Opening Night was an unusual example of this.
But alas, it is no more - the award-winning show has been cancelled due to low ratings. As executive producer Robert Sherrin told the Toronto Star, "It's truly sad...We were cancelled because of our small ratings, it wasn't a money matter at all. We have the most enthusiastic audience of any CBC show, but ratings-wise we can't compete."
On the one hand, that's life. If a program doesn't get high TV ratings, it will eventually be cancelled. On the other hand, it's a shame. A program based on music and culture is gone, forever.
Here's another interesting paragraph from the Star article:
Opening Night's Sherrin is currently shooting an all-new Nutcracker movie in Calgary to run at Christmas. "It's about the last cultural show I can see on CBC," he said.
That's not good to hear. Let's hope another Canadian TV station picks up the ball at some point, and creates some more cultural programming for Canadian audiences.
But alas, it is no more - the award-winning show has been cancelled due to low ratings. As executive producer Robert Sherrin told the Toronto Star, "It's truly sad...We were cancelled because of our small ratings, it wasn't a money matter at all. We have the most enthusiastic audience of any CBC show, but ratings-wise we can't compete."
On the one hand, that's life. If a program doesn't get high TV ratings, it will eventually be cancelled. On the other hand, it's a shame. A program based on music and culture is gone, forever.
Here's another interesting paragraph from the Star article:
Opening Night's Sherrin is currently shooting an all-new Nutcracker movie in Calgary to run at Christmas. "It's about the last cultural show I can see on CBC," he said.
That's not good to hear. Let's hope another Canadian TV station picks up the ball at some point, and creates some more cultural programming for Canadian audiences.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Emily Carr exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario
Emily Carr, Indian Church, 1929, oil on canvas. Bequest of Charles S. Band, Toronto, 1970.© 2006 Art Gallery of Ontario I don't know if there's much more one can say about the Canadian artist Emily Carr. Yet, the Art Gallery of Ontario is giving it the old college try in their current exhibition, Emily Carr: New Perspectives on a Canadian Icon. I've always enjoyed Carr's work - such as the example above - and I hope that the exhibit is well-received.
Great comic strip by Cox & Forkum
While Art de Triomphe is not a political blog, I couldn't resist adding Cox and Forum's cartoon of Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent trip to Syria. I think they covered the essence of her controversial visit very well.
Edward Gorey coming to a theatre near you
A story written and illustrated by the late, legendary Edward Gorey is coming to the big screen. Gorey's "The Doubtful Guest" is being developed by Walden Media - creator of the 2006 film The Chronicles of Narnia - Fox 2000 and the Jim Henson Company.
If this move adaptation is done well, it should be a sleeper hit. Gorey's work and art was dark, but it was always amusing. And no discussion about Gorey is complete unless you mention his fantastic animation on the PBS Mystery series.
If you want to look at some of Gorey's work, Salon has an excellent archived link here.
If this move adaptation is done well, it should be a sleeper hit. Gorey's work and art was dark, but it was always amusing. And no discussion about Gorey is complete unless you mention his fantastic animation on the PBS Mystery series.
If you want to look at some of Gorey's work, Salon has an excellent archived link here.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Look, up in the sky. It's...hmm, where's the guy in the cape?
A good piece by Brad Mackay in the Toronto Star about the lack of diversity in mainstream comic book companies like Marvel and DC.
According to Mackay, "the Marvel universe contains more than 5,000 characters, yet even a generous count reveals that only 100 or so of these are black – less than two per cent of their fictional population." This is not unique in the DC universe, either. Yet, as comic book sales decrease rapidly, comic book companies continue to rely on the true and tried formula of using the mainly white superheroes that made them successful and profitable, including Spider-Man and Superman.
Should this policy change? I think so.
While I don't support forced political and economic policies such as affirmative action (I judge people on their merit, not on their race, religion or gender), I certainly don't think there's anything wrong with increasing the number of visible minority superheroes. Society is changing, and I think that the comics should follow suit. And besides creating a more diverse universe for superhero characters, it will surely attract a whole new audience and increase profits for comic book companies.
The formula for keeping comic books alive and kicking seems fairly obvious. It's up to companies such as Marvel and DC to make a choice: Either diversify your comic universes or face the possibility of oblivion.
According to Mackay, "the Marvel universe contains more than 5,000 characters, yet even a generous count reveals that only 100 or so of these are black – less than two per cent of their fictional population." This is not unique in the DC universe, either. Yet, as comic book sales decrease rapidly, comic book companies continue to rely on the true and tried formula of using the mainly white superheroes that made them successful and profitable, including Spider-Man and Superman.
Should this policy change? I think so.
While I don't support forced political and economic policies such as affirmative action (I judge people on their merit, not on their race, religion or gender), I certainly don't think there's anything wrong with increasing the number of visible minority superheroes. Society is changing, and I think that the comics should follow suit. And besides creating a more diverse universe for superhero characters, it will surely attract a whole new audience and increase profits for comic book companies.
The formula for keeping comic books alive and kicking seems fairly obvious. It's up to companies such as Marvel and DC to make a choice: Either diversify your comic universes or face the possibility of oblivion.
Artscholar.org
I have been meaning to discuss this topic on Art de Triomphe for some time now.
Last year, I discovered a website called Artscholar.org, "a website of revisonist history." The editor is Simon Abrahams, who has written a few long pieces on some of the Old Masters and French Impressionists and an unpublished book on art. (He also has a blog, Art Sight, but it hasn't been updated since July 21, 2006.)
Abrahams' claim to fame is that he claims to have discovered that Michelangelo's portrait of Dante forms a large section of the altar of the Sistine Chapel. Click on the button "Closer Look" in the video if you want to see a sketch of Dante's figure.
Is it true? To be fair, the whole story has a Da Vinci Code feel to it, and there's no way to escape this. I've looked at the video a couple of times, and I'll admit I'm not 100% sure about his theory. Yes, there appears to be a mild outline of Dante...but whether Michelangelo intended this or not is open to debate. It might just be a fluke.
But whether you agree or not, it's worth taking a look at Abrahams' site. He has some interesting scholarly articles on Michelangelo and Edouard Manet, and some unique observations, too. See what you think.
Last year, I discovered a website called Artscholar.org, "a website of revisonist history." The editor is Simon Abrahams, who has written a few long pieces on some of the Old Masters and French Impressionists and an unpublished book on art. (He also has a blog, Art Sight, but it hasn't been updated since July 21, 2006.)
Abrahams' claim to fame is that he claims to have discovered that Michelangelo's portrait of Dante forms a large section of the altar of the Sistine Chapel. Click on the button "Closer Look" in the video if you want to see a sketch of Dante's figure.
Is it true? To be fair, the whole story has a Da Vinci Code feel to it, and there's no way to escape this. I've looked at the video a couple of times, and I'll admit I'm not 100% sure about his theory. Yes, there appears to be a mild outline of Dante...but whether Michelangelo intended this or not is open to debate. It might just be a fluke.
But whether you agree or not, it's worth taking a look at Abrahams' site. He has some interesting scholarly articles on Michelangelo and Edouard Manet, and some unique observations, too. See what you think.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Art quotes for the art lover in all of us
I found some great quotes on art on this website.
My five favourite ones are as follows:
1) Art is lies that tell the truth. Pablo Picasso
2) It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance...and I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process. Henry James
3) Art is like a shipwreck...it's everyman for himself. Marcel Duchamp
4) It would be a mistake to ascribe this creative power to an inborn talent. In art, the genius creator is not just a gifted being, but a person who has succeeded in arranging for their appointed end, a complex of activities, of which the work is the outcome. The artist begins with a vision -- a creative operation requiring an effort. Creativity takes courage. Henri Matisse
5) The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions which have been hidden by the answers. James Baldwin
And I certainly can't argue with this statement:
You can never do too much drawing. Tintoretto (Jacopo Comin)
Which ones are your favourites? Let me know in the Comment section.
My five favourite ones are as follows:
1) Art is lies that tell the truth. Pablo Picasso
2) It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance...and I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process. Henry James
3) Art is like a shipwreck...it's everyman for himself. Marcel Duchamp
4) It would be a mistake to ascribe this creative power to an inborn talent. In art, the genius creator is not just a gifted being, but a person who has succeeded in arranging for their appointed end, a complex of activities, of which the work is the outcome. The artist begins with a vision -- a creative operation requiring an effort. Creativity takes courage. Henri Matisse
5) The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions which have been hidden by the answers. James Baldwin
And I certainly can't argue with this statement:
You can never do too much drawing. Tintoretto (Jacopo Comin)
Which ones are your favourites? Let me know in the Comment section.
Terry Teachout and second-rate art
Friday, March 30, 2007
You can call me Art, or Mr. de Triomphe
Just a fun post.
I have now officially switched my blogger name from Micmmic to Art de Triomphe, as you'll see at the bottom of my posts.
And as you may have guessed, neither one is my real name - or has anything to do with it, for that matter. : )
I have now officially switched my blogger name from Micmmic to Art de Triomphe, as you'll see at the bottom of my posts.
And as you may have guessed, neither one is my real name - or has anything to do with it, for that matter. : )
Garry Kasparov: "Nobody in Russia cares about chess"
The quote in the title of this blog post was made by a Grandmaster and former world chess champion. If you don't believe me, please go to the London Times piece published here.
Who would have thought that democracy in Russia would bring an end to, of all things, the old Soviet domination of this sport? Will wonders never cease?
As well, Garry Kasparov has just written a new book entitled How Life Imitates Chess. He's an extremely intelligent man, a great writer (if you've ever seen his occasional contributions to the Wall Street Journal) and has a real political mind. I haven't seen this book yet, but I highly recommend it based on his past insights and political commentary.
Who would have thought that democracy in Russia would bring an end to, of all things, the old Soviet domination of this sport? Will wonders never cease?
As well, Garry Kasparov has just written a new book entitled How Life Imitates Chess. He's an extremely intelligent man, a great writer (if you've ever seen his occasional contributions to the Wall Street Journal) and has a real political mind. I haven't seen this book yet, but I highly recommend it based on his past insights and political commentary.
Second-rate art?
It's probably hard for some people to stomach the phrase "second-rate art" when it refers to the work of the Old Masters or various Impressionist painters.
Terry Teachout, however, has made a very wise assessment in this regard, "...second-rate art, however derivative, can sometimes teach you as much as first-rate art about the nature of greatness."
The rest of Teachout's column - based on an exhibition of paintings by Vincent Van Gogh and some contemporaries - will be published in the March 31st edition of the Wall Street Journal. I'll post a link next week, if possible.
Terry Teachout, however, has made a very wise assessment in this regard, "...second-rate art, however derivative, can sometimes teach you as much as first-rate art about the nature of greatness."
The rest of Teachout's column - based on an exhibition of paintings by Vincent Van Gogh and some contemporaries - will be published in the March 31st edition of the Wall Street Journal. I'll post a link next week, if possible.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Two Rubens, two views
There's an interesting exhibit at the Hermitage Museum of two versions of a single painting by Pieter Paul Rubens entitled The Statue of Ceres.
One version has been part of the Hermitage collection since 1768. The other version is privately owned by Mr. Herman Bayeler, who resides in Switzerland.
The Hermitage has a short explanation of the exhibit. Here's the most unique section:
When repeating his works, Rubens, as a rule, changed something in them, whether details of secondary importance or separate features in the appearance of the main personages. Researchers believe that the Ceres which now belongs to the Bayeler collection was made approximately in the years 1615 – 1617 and is more likely another version of the Hermitage painting by the artist than a simple duplication.
Interesting, wouldn't you say?
One version has been part of the Hermitage collection since 1768. The other version is privately owned by Mr. Herman Bayeler, who resides in Switzerland.
The Hermitage has a short explanation of the exhibit. Here's the most unique section:
When repeating his works, Rubens, as a rule, changed something in them, whether details of secondary importance or separate features in the appearance of the main personages. Researchers believe that the Ceres which now belongs to the Bayeler collection was made approximately in the years 1615 – 1617 and is more likely another version of the Hermitage painting by the artist than a simple duplication.
Interesting, wouldn't you say?
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Paris Hilton and Britney Spears
For some quick amusement, here's a decent piece from the Hattiesburg American about Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and other so-called teen idols.
Retired teacher Gail Hamwi is absolutely right when she says, "...the emptiness of today's teen icons boggles the mind." It really is quite shocking at times."
And I also liked this part of Hamwi's op-ed piece:
Let them live their lives as they choose. They don't owe anyone anything. Someone, however, in the adult world does. The response to such pitiful values must rise from the inner guts of society itself. The Parises of our world must not be quashed. They must simply become irrelevant.
To quote one of Hamwi's targets, "now, that's hot!" : )
Retired teacher Gail Hamwi is absolutely right when she says, "...the emptiness of today's teen icons boggles the mind." It really is quite shocking at times."
And I also liked this part of Hamwi's op-ed piece:
Let them live their lives as they choose. They don't owe anyone anything. Someone, however, in the adult world does. The response to such pitiful values must rise from the inner guts of society itself. The Parises of our world must not be quashed. They must simply become irrelevant.
To quote one of Hamwi's targets, "now, that's hot!" : )
No appeal in the Beaverbrook Art Gallery case?
Earlier this week, the London-based Beaverbrook Foundation lost a high-profile case concerning the ownership of 132 paintings currently on display at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in New Brunswick.
Retired Supreme Court Justice Peter Cory ruled that 85 paintings were the property of the art gallery, since Lord Beaverbrook gave them as a gift when it opened in 1959. The remaining 48 paintings given after the art gallery opened are still the property of the foundation.
Like most people, I thought that this unusual verdict would be appealed. But now it appears that an appeal might not happen due to high costs.
Retired Supreme Court Justice Peter Cory ruled that 85 paintings were the property of the art gallery, since Lord Beaverbrook gave them as a gift when it opened in 1959. The remaining 48 paintings given after the art gallery opened are still the property of the foundation.
Like most people, I thought that this unusual verdict would be appealed. But now it appears that an appeal might not happen due to high costs.
Great art exhibition in Hawaii
I have always wanted to go to Hawaii to see the island, enjoy the weather and visit the Honolulu Academy of Arts.
The Honolulu Academy of Arts is an 80-year-old gallery with - believe it or not - some of the finest Japanese prints in the world. This is thanks in large part to the author James Michener, who donated over 5,400 vintage Japanese prints to their permanent collection, some of which can be viewed here.
They currently have a nice exhibit running as a tribute to their founder, Anna Rice Cooke. You can look at four pieces in the exhibit here.
Hmm...I wonder how much is a ticket to Honolulu this time of year... : )
The Honolulu Academy of Arts is an 80-year-old gallery with - believe it or not - some of the finest Japanese prints in the world. This is thanks in large part to the author James Michener, who donated over 5,400 vintage Japanese prints to their permanent collection, some of which can be viewed here.
They currently have a nice exhibit running as a tribute to their founder, Anna Rice Cooke. You can look at four pieces in the exhibit here.
Hmm...I wonder how much is a ticket to Honolulu this time of year... : )
The work of Lyonel Feininger
Surfing the Internet this morning, I happened to come across a new book of art by the late painter/cartoonist Lyonel Feininger. This book is a collection of his comic strip art, to be published by Fantagraphics Books.
Feininger had a fairly extensive career as a painter. He was a modern artist with expressionist and impressionist leanings - you can see a little bit of Picasso and even Kadinsky in some of his work.
Here's an overview of some of his paintings. I quite like some of his sketches of sailboats, which is an obvious tribute to J.M.W. Turner.
But Feininger also had a short albeit influential career as a cartoonist. He created two comic strips, The Kin-der-Kids and Wee Willie Winkie's World. Both strips were beautifully drawn and well-written, and are still highly regarded today. The former strip ran from April 29-November 18, 1906, and the latter from August 19, 1906-February 17, 1907, both published in the Chicago Sunday Tribune.
If you want to learn some more about Feininger, his biography can be found here, and his Wikipedia entry is here.
Feininger had a fairly extensive career as a painter. He was a modern artist with expressionist and impressionist leanings - you can see a little bit of Picasso and even Kadinsky in some of his work.
Here's an overview of some of his paintings. I quite like some of his sketches of sailboats, which is an obvious tribute to J.M.W. Turner.
But Feininger also had a short albeit influential career as a cartoonist. He created two comic strips, The Kin-der-Kids and Wee Willie Winkie's World. Both strips were beautifully drawn and well-written, and are still highly regarded today. The former strip ran from April 29-November 18, 1906, and the latter from August 19, 1906-February 17, 1907, both published in the Chicago Sunday Tribune.
If you want to learn some more about Feininger, his biography can be found here, and his Wikipedia entry is here.
O.J. Simpson's book
The rights to O.J. Simpson's controversial book, If I Did It, will be auctioned off on April 17. It will be interesting to see who ends up with the winning bid. I'd imagine that it will be a Hollywood studio or book publisher, although the Goldman family is still a possibility.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
British-owned Rembrandt painting to head to Amsterdam?
The Art Newspaper is reporting that Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum is in negotiations to purchase an original Rembrandt painting from a private collection.
The painting, entitled Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet, is currently owned by the Penryhn family, and resides at the National Trust-owned Penrhyn Castle near Bangor in north Wales. According to the article, the family no longer controls the castle. (The painting is currently on loan to the Rijksmuseum.)
The price tag? £40m, which would double any Rembrandt has ever sold at auction. As reporter Martin Bailey wrote, "If the sale to the Rijksmuseum proceeds, a UK export licence would almost certainly be deferred, because of the painting’s importance, allowing a UK buyer to match the price. The public collections with a special interest would be the National Trust (to keep the picture at Penrhyn), the National Museum and Gallery of Wales in Cardiff and the National Gallery in London."
Finally, some interesting facts from the last two paragraphs of the article:
Meanwhile, Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet remains on loan to the Rijksmuseum until 29 April. If it then stays in Amsterdam, there will be three Rembrandt masterpieces left in British private collections: Judas and the Thirty Pieces of Silver (Marchioness of Normanby, loaned for two months every year to the National Gallery), An Old Woman Reading (Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, on view at Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfriesshire) and a 1657 Self-portrait (Duke of Sutherland, on loan to the National Gallery of Scotland since 1945).
Astonishingly, in 1949 Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet was valued at only £1,000, with the family’s pre-war Rolls Royce worth three times more. The car still survives at Penrhyn Castle, although its value has long been eclipsed by the Rembrandt.
Quite amazing, don't you think?
The painting, entitled Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet, is currently owned by the Penryhn family, and resides at the National Trust-owned Penrhyn Castle near Bangor in north Wales. According to the article, the family no longer controls the castle. (The painting is currently on loan to the Rijksmuseum.)
The price tag? £40m, which would double any Rembrandt has ever sold at auction. As reporter Martin Bailey wrote, "If the sale to the Rijksmuseum proceeds, a UK export licence would almost certainly be deferred, because of the painting’s importance, allowing a UK buyer to match the price. The public collections with a special interest would be the National Trust (to keep the picture at Penrhyn), the National Museum and Gallery of Wales in Cardiff and the National Gallery in London."
Finally, some interesting facts from the last two paragraphs of the article:
Meanwhile, Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet remains on loan to the Rijksmuseum until 29 April. If it then stays in Amsterdam, there will be three Rembrandt masterpieces left in British private collections: Judas and the Thirty Pieces of Silver (Marchioness of Normanby, loaned for two months every year to the National Gallery), An Old Woman Reading (Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, on view at Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfriesshire) and a 1657 Self-portrait (Duke of Sutherland, on loan to the National Gallery of Scotland since 1945).
Astonishingly, in 1949 Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet was valued at only £1,000, with the family’s pre-war Rolls Royce worth three times more. The car still survives at Penrhyn Castle, although its value has long been eclipsed by the Rembrandt.
Quite amazing, don't you think?
I'll trade you a J.M.W. Turner for a piece of Chinese art
Although the title of this blog post sounds odd, that's kind of what happened recently.
According to an article in The Art Newspaper, Baron Guy Ellens - a Belgian art trader - will be auctioning off his 14 J.M.W. Turner watercolours to focus on contemporary Chinese art. Sotheby's has estimated that Ellens' Turner collection will sell for between £10m-£15m ($19.7m-$29.55m).
Traditional art lovers may be completely confounded by this decision, or simply disagree with it. Put me in the latter category.
To be fair, the baron recently "founded the first private museum for both Chinese and international contemporary art in Beijing, which is to open in October." So, it's understandable why he decided to part with his 14 Turner watercolours.
But 14 original Turner watercolours?! Good Lord - I wish I could afford just one!
According to an article in The Art Newspaper, Baron Guy Ellens - a Belgian art trader - will be auctioning off his 14 J.M.W. Turner watercolours to focus on contemporary Chinese art. Sotheby's has estimated that Ellens' Turner collection will sell for between £10m-£15m ($19.7m-$29.55m).
Traditional art lovers may be completely confounded by this decision, or simply disagree with it. Put me in the latter category.
To be fair, the baron recently "founded the first private museum for both Chinese and international contemporary art in Beijing, which is to open in October." So, it's understandable why he decided to part with his 14 Turner watercolours.
But 14 original Turner watercolours?! Good Lord - I wish I could afford just one!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Further on Charles M. Schulz
It occurred to me that some of you might want to do further research on Charles M. Schulz, the creator of Peanuts. If so, Schulz's Wikipedia entry is here. The official Peanuts website is here. A few videos of Schulz and Peanuts - plus some parodies - can be found on Google Video here. And here are some good fansites.
Charles M. Schulz Museum
Ever seen the website for the Charles M. Schulz Museum? If not, click here. It's nicely done, and gives you the chance to become more familiar with the creator of the comic strip Peanuts, his life and work and different exhibitions. For example, take a look at this exhibition, which is based on some recently discovered Schulz artwork on the actual nursery wall of his daughter's old bedroom.
Harry Potter keeps its original cast
As expected, the three main stars of the Harry Potter films - Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint - have signed on for the final two instalments.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
FUN WEEKEND FACT: The fictional title reigns of Rocky Balboa
Here's proof that you can find some interesting things on the Internet if you do a little bit of digging.
I was reading some movie reviews today about Rocky Balboa, and I happened to catch this unusual notation when I searched through "Union Cane" at Wikipedia:
Heavy Weight Champions as acknowledged by the Rocky films: (Fictional time line)(In Rocky mythology the late Ali era, the Larry Holmes era and the post Lennox Lewis era does not exist and neither do most of the portion belt holders.)(Some non fictional events do occur but within an alternate time span.)
1967: Muhammad Ali (stripped of title)
1968-1971: Joe Frazier (Wins Vacant Title)
1971-1972: George Foreman (KO Frazier)
1972-1973: Muhammad Ali (KO Foreman) (retires after the Thrilla in Manila)
1973-1976: Apollo Creed (Wins Vacant Title)
1976-1981: Rocky Balboa (KO Creed)
1981-1982: Clubber Lang (KO Balboa)
1982-1984: Rocky Balboa (KO Lang) (Rocky is stripped of title then retires)
1984-1986: Clubber Lang (Wins Vacant Title)(Retires)
1986-1990: Mike Tyson (Wins vacant title) (Mike Tyson is sent to prison. The title is vacated.)
1990: Union Cane (wins the vacant title)
1990-1991: Tommy Gunn (KO Cane)
1991-1993: Evander Holyfield (KO Gunn)
1993-1995: Riddick Bowe (Decisions Holyfield) (title splits because Bowe refuses to fight mandatory challenger.)
1994-1995: Ivan Drago (WBC)(retires)
1995: Evander Holyfield (WBA and IBF) (Decisions Bowe)
1996: Michael Moorer (WBA and IBF)(Decisions Holyfield)
1996: Lennox Lewis (wins vacant WBC title)
1997-1998: George Foreman (KO Moorer) (WBA and IBF)
1997: Mike Tyson (Tyson wins vacant IBF and WBA title that is stripped from Foreman.)
1998: Evander Holyfield (KO Tyson)(IBF and WBA)
1999-2002: Lennox Lewis (Decision Holyfield)(unifies titles) (retire)
2003-present: Mason Dixon (Former Light Heavyweight and Cruiser Weight Champion wins vacant title)
I have often wondered if there was an alternative heavyweight title history in the Rocky films. This notation - and I'm not sure of the primary source - seems to imply just that.
In order, we have Apollo Creed (Rocky, Rocky II), two reigns of Clubber Lang (Rocky III), Ivan Drago with the WBC title (Rocky IV), Union Cane and Tommy Gunn (Rocky V) and Mason Dixon (Rocky Balboa). As well as the two reigns of Rocky Balboa himself.
This is your fun weekend fact.
I was reading some movie reviews today about Rocky Balboa, and I happened to catch this unusual notation when I searched through "Union Cane" at Wikipedia:
Heavy Weight Champions as acknowledged by the Rocky films: (Fictional time line)(In Rocky mythology the late Ali era, the Larry Holmes era and the post Lennox Lewis era does not exist and neither do most of the portion belt holders.)(Some non fictional events do occur but within an alternate time span.)
1967: Muhammad Ali (stripped of title)
1968-1971: Joe Frazier (Wins Vacant Title)
1971-1972: George Foreman (KO Frazier)
1972-1973: Muhammad Ali (KO Foreman) (retires after the Thrilla in Manila)
1973-1976: Apollo Creed (Wins Vacant Title)
1976-1981: Rocky Balboa (KO Creed)
1981-1982: Clubber Lang (KO Balboa)
1982-1984: Rocky Balboa (KO Lang) (Rocky is stripped of title then retires)
1984-1986: Clubber Lang (Wins Vacant Title)(Retires)
1986-1990: Mike Tyson (Wins vacant title) (Mike Tyson is sent to prison. The title is vacated.)
1990: Union Cane (wins the vacant title)
1990-1991: Tommy Gunn (KO Cane)
1991-1993: Evander Holyfield (KO Gunn)
1993-1995: Riddick Bowe (Decisions Holyfield) (title splits because Bowe refuses to fight mandatory challenger.)
1994-1995: Ivan Drago (WBC)(retires)
1995: Evander Holyfield (WBA and IBF) (Decisions Bowe)
1996: Michael Moorer (WBA and IBF)(Decisions Holyfield)
1996: Lennox Lewis (wins vacant WBC title)
1997-1998: George Foreman (KO Moorer) (WBA and IBF)
1997: Mike Tyson (Tyson wins vacant IBF and WBA title that is stripped from Foreman.)
1998: Evander Holyfield (KO Tyson)(IBF and WBA)
1999-2002: Lennox Lewis (Decision Holyfield)(unifies titles) (retire)
2003-present: Mason Dixon (Former Light Heavyweight and Cruiser Weight Champion wins vacant title)
I have often wondered if there was an alternative heavyweight title history in the Rocky films. This notation - and I'm not sure of the primary source - seems to imply just that.
In order, we have Apollo Creed (Rocky, Rocky II), two reigns of Clubber Lang (Rocky III), Ivan Drago with the WBC title (Rocky IV), Union Cane and Tommy Gunn (Rocky V) and Mason Dixon (Rocky Balboa). As well as the two reigns of Rocky Balboa himself.
This is your fun weekend fact.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Jane Austen painting for sale
What is believed by some to be the only painting of author Jane Austen has gone on the auction block in an upcoming Old Master Paintings sale. It was painted by Ozias Humphry in 1788 or 1789. Christie's estimates the portrait will ultimately reach $400,000-$800,000. So, if you are curious as to what Austen looked like as a young girl, here is the link.
French painters and female portraits
Art Daily has a wonderful gallery of ten paintings from the NOMA exhibit entitled "Paintings of Women in French Society from Daumier to Picasso." All of them are well worth the price of admission...which, in this case, is free! : )
French painters and female protraits
Art Daily has a wonderful gallery of ten paintings from the NOMA exhibit entitled "Paintings of Women in French Society from Daumier to Picasso." All of them are well worth the price of admission...which, in this case, is free! : )
William Hogarth exhibit at Tate Britain
There is an exhibit of the great British painter William Hogarth running at Tate Britain until April 29. A few of the paintings in two rooms are available for viewing. Room 7 has portraits, and Room 9 has larger pantings. Go take a look if you get a chance.
What is avant-garde?
Here is a provocative - albeit not entirely valid - article by Dushko Petrovich about the need for a "practical avant-garde" in the art world. Petrovich is the artist at residence at London's Royal Academy, and this article is a condensed version of his remarks at a panel discussion on the avant-garde.
I agree that the term avant-garde is used rather liberally when pertaining to the arts. Art is a often a matter of taste and choice. Some people like traditional art, some people like modern art, and others like both or none of the above. Therefore, what one person may regard as avant-garde in art may be seen by another person as lacking style or character.
Petrovich prefers to use the late painter/critic Fairfield Porter's definition - avant-garde refers to the people with the most energy.
What does that mean, exactly? It could refer to passion, vibrancy of colours, use of mediums and materials, or changing an art style to your specifications. From a modern perspective, this could refer to the work of Picasso, Dali, Warhol and so on. Again, a lot of depends on what you perceive as being avant-garde. Or whether you perceive anything as being avant-garde, I guess.
Hence, Petrovich believes there is a need for a practical avant-garde in art. He defines it in the following way:
A practical avant-garde is post-careerist. It seeks out low rent and private time, and it concentrates on powerful objects.
A practical avant-garde experiments, but is honest about the results, displaying only the work that is full-fledged and generous. It surveys past achievements with similar honesty, looking at past experiments with an eye for what was truly strong. It knows that images are ubiquitous and coercive, while real pictures are rare.
All of this means that the practical avant-garde has a lot of work to do. It knows that manifesto is the weakest genre and that promises are irrelevant, so it will use words but not hide behind them.
Finally, the practical avant-garde is grateful to the impractical avant-garde, but we will not defer to it.
I don't really agree with this position at all. Practical avant-garde is "post-careerist?" I know that artists are not attracted to wealth and luxury, but I doubt that all of them would look at a career in said fashion. And experimentation with colours and styles is very personal. One painter's honesty is another painter's dishonesty. For example, a painter may honestly believe that grass is purple and will paint it that colour, but it's a dishonest perception since grass is understood to be green. So, is the painter regarded as being practical avant-garde for painting the grass as he perceives it to be, or a fraud because his perception of grass isn't realistic?
These are just basic examples, of course. But what these examples prove is that Petrovich's definition of practical avant-garde is very questionable. Provocative, but questionable.
But Petrovich is right about one thing, "the practical avant-garde has a lot of work to do." Especially when it comes to selling the general public about this definition.
I agree that the term avant-garde is used rather liberally when pertaining to the arts. Art is a often a matter of taste and choice. Some people like traditional art, some people like modern art, and others like both or none of the above. Therefore, what one person may regard as avant-garde in art may be seen by another person as lacking style or character.
Petrovich prefers to use the late painter/critic Fairfield Porter's definition - avant-garde refers to the people with the most energy.
What does that mean, exactly? It could refer to passion, vibrancy of colours, use of mediums and materials, or changing an art style to your specifications. From a modern perspective, this could refer to the work of Picasso, Dali, Warhol and so on. Again, a lot of depends on what you perceive as being avant-garde. Or whether you perceive anything as being avant-garde, I guess.
Hence, Petrovich believes there is a need for a practical avant-garde in art. He defines it in the following way:
A practical avant-garde is post-careerist. It seeks out low rent and private time, and it concentrates on powerful objects.
A practical avant-garde experiments, but is honest about the results, displaying only the work that is full-fledged and generous. It surveys past achievements with similar honesty, looking at past experiments with an eye for what was truly strong. It knows that images are ubiquitous and coercive, while real pictures are rare.
All of this means that the practical avant-garde has a lot of work to do. It knows that manifesto is the weakest genre and that promises are irrelevant, so it will use words but not hide behind them.
Finally, the practical avant-garde is grateful to the impractical avant-garde, but we will not defer to it.
I don't really agree with this position at all. Practical avant-garde is "post-careerist?" I know that artists are not attracted to wealth and luxury, but I doubt that all of them would look at a career in said fashion. And experimentation with colours and styles is very personal. One painter's honesty is another painter's dishonesty. For example, a painter may honestly believe that grass is purple and will paint it that colour, but it's a dishonest perception since grass is understood to be green. So, is the painter regarded as being practical avant-garde for painting the grass as he perceives it to be, or a fraud because his perception of grass isn't realistic?
These are just basic examples, of course. But what these examples prove is that Petrovich's definition of practical avant-garde is very questionable. Provocative, but questionable.
But Petrovich is right about one thing, "the practical avant-garde has a lot of work to do." Especially when it comes to selling the general public about this definition.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
The myth behind notable quotables
The title of this blog post refers to a notable quotable supposedly made by George Washington in reference to chopping down his father's cherry tree, "I cannot tell a lie. I did it with my little hatchet."
There's one little problem. Washington's famous quote - which was written by an early biographer, Parson Weems, in 1806 - is probably a lie. There's no proof that the man who grew up to be the first American president did not cut down his father's cherry tree, except a 200-year-old anecdote with questionable roots.
But this is not the first time that a notable quotable wasn't so notable and didn't deserve to be quotable.
Louis Menard has written a great piece in the Books section of The New Yorker on this very topic. The first paragraph of Menard's review is intriguing in itself:
"Sherlock Holmes never said “Elementary, my dear Watson.” Neither Ingrid Bergman nor anyone else in “Casablanca” says “Play it again, Sam”; Leo Durocher did not say “Nice guys finish last”; Vince Lombardi did say “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” quite often, but he got the line from someone else. Patrick Henry almost certainly did not say “Give me liberty, or give me death!”; William Tecumseh Sherman never wrote the words “War is hell”; and there is no evidence that Horace Greeley said “Go west, young man.” Marie Antoinette did not say “Let them eat cake”; Hermann Göring did not say “When I hear the word ‘culture,’ I reach for my gun”; and Muhammad Ali did not say “No Vietcong ever called me nigger.” Gordon Gekko, the character played by Michael Douglas in “Wall Street,” does not say “Greed is good”; James Cagney never says “You dirty rat” in any of his films; and no movie actor, including Charles Boyer, ever said “Come with me to the Casbah.” Many of the phrases for which Winston Churchill is famous he adapted from the phrases of other people, and when Yogi Berra said “I didn’t really say everything I said” he was correct."
I'm not going to spoil the rest of the article, except to say that many quotations you have heard in your life have gone through some interesting modification and/or storytelling. It's a good piece, so take a look at it.
There's one little problem. Washington's famous quote - which was written by an early biographer, Parson Weems, in 1806 - is probably a lie. There's no proof that the man who grew up to be the first American president did not cut down his father's cherry tree, except a 200-year-old anecdote with questionable roots.
But this is not the first time that a notable quotable wasn't so notable and didn't deserve to be quotable.
Louis Menard has written a great piece in the Books section of The New Yorker on this very topic. The first paragraph of Menard's review is intriguing in itself:
"Sherlock Holmes never said “Elementary, my dear Watson.” Neither Ingrid Bergman nor anyone else in “Casablanca” says “Play it again, Sam”; Leo Durocher did not say “Nice guys finish last”; Vince Lombardi did say “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” quite often, but he got the line from someone else. Patrick Henry almost certainly did not say “Give me liberty, or give me death!”; William Tecumseh Sherman never wrote the words “War is hell”; and there is no evidence that Horace Greeley said “Go west, young man.” Marie Antoinette did not say “Let them eat cake”; Hermann Göring did not say “When I hear the word ‘culture,’ I reach for my gun”; and Muhammad Ali did not say “No Vietcong ever called me nigger.” Gordon Gekko, the character played by Michael Douglas in “Wall Street,” does not say “Greed is good”; James Cagney never says “You dirty rat” in any of his films; and no movie actor, including Charles Boyer, ever said “Come with me to the Casbah.” Many of the phrases for which Winston Churchill is famous he adapted from the phrases of other people, and when Yogi Berra said “I didn’t really say everything I said” he was correct."
I'm not going to spoil the rest of the article, except to say that many quotations you have heard in your life have gone through some interesting modification and/or storytelling. It's a good piece, so take a look at it.
Bad book! Be gone with ye!
This is a really amusing column in The London Times about the books we haven't read, and how to talk about them. It gave me a good laugh.
One minor point of contention. Times columnist Sarah Vine wrote the following about Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code:
"I don’t know anyone with an ounce of intellectual pride who will confess to having read it, and yet statistically some of them must be lying."
Now you have, Ms. Vine. But it was a good column, so I'll let it slide. : )
(h/t Arts and Letters Daily)
One minor point of contention. Times columnist Sarah Vine wrote the following about Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code:
"I don’t know anyone with an ounce of intellectual pride who will confess to having read it, and yet statistically some of them must be lying."
Now you have, Ms. Vine. But it was a good column, so I'll let it slide. : )
(h/t Arts and Letters Daily)
Cathy Seipp, RIP
Cathy Seipp was a great writer. She was intelligent, funny and wise beyond her years. Not bad for a Manitoba-born girl who made her way to Los Angeles, wrote about Hollywood and was a conservative.
Read some of Cathy's work on her blog here. Her obituary is here. Read a tribute by Susan Estrich here, by John O'Sullivan here, and by Kathryn Jean Lopez here. A National Review Online symposium on Seipp can be found here. And her daughter, Maia Lazar, has a blog here.
Rest in peace, Cathy.
Read some of Cathy's work on her blog here. Her obituary is here. Read a tribute by Susan Estrich here, by John O'Sullivan here, and by Kathryn Jean Lopez here. A National Review Online symposium on Seipp can be found here. And her daughter, Maia Lazar, has a blog here.
Rest in peace, Cathy.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Alice in the USSR...er, Wonderland...er, USSR
Most people are familiar with Lewis Carroll's classic children's tale, Alice in Wonderland. Here's a really interesting story of how the book made its way to the Soviet Union in 1967 by way of - believe it or not - Bulgaria. The woman who translated Carroll's book, Nina Demurova, brought Soviet children the purest tale of fantasy that the Iron Curtain had probably seen up to this point. Read all about it...and keep a close eye out for the smiling cheshire cat!
Museum of Communism
I'm not sure how many of you are aware of this. In 2002, a then 36-year-old political science graduate named Glenn Spicker opened the Museum of Communism in the Czech Republic. Spicker had not lived in the country during the Velvet Revolution, and was more well-known for having started up a number of restaurants and bagel shops in Prague. Yet, he opened up this museum, which celebrates the triumph of capitalism over communism. The website for the Museum of Communism can be found here. It's not very high-tech, but it's worth a look.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Richard Wagner and Anti-Semitism
The composer Richard Wagner emotes both sympathy and disdain, depending on who you are talking to.
Wagner's music and lyrics were sources of inspiration for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler (see here, here and here, among many others) due to the former's virulent anti-semitism. Wagner's hatred of Jews is without question.
Yet, there are many people - including a fair chunk of Jewish musicians - that have been trying to get people to stop thinking about Wagner's rage and start listening to Wagner's music. This includes the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 1981, which played selections from Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" to an audience that had mixed opinions.
With this in mind, here is an interesting piece by A.J. Goldmann in The Jewish Daily Forward about Wagner's opera "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg." This is the opera that Hitler claimed to have attended more than 100 times, and Joseph Goebbels called "the incarnation of our Germanness." That's quite the recommendation, wouldn't you say?
But seriously, Goldmann's piece cleanly deconstructs the opera and proves that people should listen to the beauty of Wagner's music. The history behind the opera and its composer is what it is - and it ain't pretty - but that shouldn't prevent a person from attending a performance. As Lydia Goehr, professor of aesthetics at Columbia University, put it:
"Art is not meant to be there just to make you happy. Go enjoy the music, and realize that sometimes the beauty of the music conflicts with the awfulness of the text."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Wagner's music and lyrics were sources of inspiration for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler (see here, here and here, among many others) due to the former's virulent anti-semitism. Wagner's hatred of Jews is without question.
Yet, there are many people - including a fair chunk of Jewish musicians - that have been trying to get people to stop thinking about Wagner's rage and start listening to Wagner's music. This includes the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 1981, which played selections from Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" to an audience that had mixed opinions.
With this in mind, here is an interesting piece by A.J. Goldmann in The Jewish Daily Forward about Wagner's opera "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg." This is the opera that Hitler claimed to have attended more than 100 times, and Joseph Goebbels called "the incarnation of our Germanness." That's quite the recommendation, wouldn't you say?
But seriously, Goldmann's piece cleanly deconstructs the opera and proves that people should listen to the beauty of Wagner's music. The history behind the opera and its composer is what it is - and it ain't pretty - but that shouldn't prevent a person from attending a performance. As Lydia Goehr, professor of aesthetics at Columbia University, put it:
"Art is not meant to be there just to make you happy. Go enjoy the music, and realize that sometimes the beauty of the music conflicts with the awfulness of the text."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Leonardo @ the Museum of Science
I recently found a nice little website that the Museum of Science posted on Leonardo da Vinci based on a 1997 exhibit. It's a good little primer on the great painter, his life and work. I would highly recommend the Virtual Leonardo section, which allows you to look at a few examples from the exhibit. Wish I had been there...
Simon Schama videos online
The art historian Simon Schama seems to provoke a black or white reaction in the mainstream. Either people are enamoured with his books and BBC specials, or they can't bear to watch him. I tend to be in the former category.
With this in mind, the Internet-based art newspaper artdaily.org currently has links (on the front page) to two segments of Schama's Power of Art series that was on BBC Two last year - Bernini and Caravaggio. I highly recommend both.
If you want to read more about the Power of Art series, go here.
With this in mind, the Internet-based art newspaper artdaily.org currently has links (on the front page) to two segments of Schama's Power of Art series that was on BBC Two last year - Bernini and Caravaggio. I highly recommend both.
If you want to read more about the Power of Art series, go here.
Green is the colour of...Harry Potter?
The seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series will be released on July 21. Entitled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the book will be a staggering 784 pages.
Yet, the biggest news about the book seems to revolve around the colour green. More specifically, the environment. Scholastic Inc. has made a deal with the Rainforest Alliance to produce a more environmentally friendly volume.
The seventh book will therefore include the following items:
* Paper containing "a minimum of 30 percent post-consumer waste fiber."
* Nearly two-thirds of the 16,700 tons of paper will be approved by the Forest Stewardship Council, a group which promotes "environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests."
* A deluxe edition of the new book will be printed on paper containing "100 percent post-consumer waste fiber."
And the point of highlighting this decision is, exactly?
Look, if Scholastic wants to follow the trend of using environmentally friendly paper and products - like the Canadian publisher Raincoast Books - that's up to them. They deserve neither praise nor condemnation for their decision.
But does anyone think for one second that most children and their parents wouldn't buy the last volume of the Harry Potter series from Scholastic simply because they didn't "go green"? If you do, you're quite mistaken.
So, let's concentrate on the contents of the book, rather than what the contents of the book are made out of.
Yet, the biggest news about the book seems to revolve around the colour green. More specifically, the environment. Scholastic Inc. has made a deal with the Rainforest Alliance to produce a more environmentally friendly volume.
The seventh book will therefore include the following items:
* Paper containing "a minimum of 30 percent post-consumer waste fiber."
* Nearly two-thirds of the 16,700 tons of paper will be approved by the Forest Stewardship Council, a group which promotes "environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests."
* A deluxe edition of the new book will be printed on paper containing "100 percent post-consumer waste fiber."
And the point of highlighting this decision is, exactly?
Look, if Scholastic wants to follow the trend of using environmentally friendly paper and products - like the Canadian publisher Raincoast Books - that's up to them. They deserve neither praise nor condemnation for their decision.
But does anyone think for one second that most children and their parents wouldn't buy the last volume of the Harry Potter series from Scholastic simply because they didn't "go green"? If you do, you're quite mistaken.
So, let's concentrate on the contents of the book, rather than what the contents of the book are made out of.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Monday, March 5, 2007
Welcome to Art de Triomphe
Hi! My name is Micmmic - formerly the proprietor of this now-defunct blog - and I'd like to welcome you to Art de Triomphe, an intellectual examination of the arts.
Art de Triomphe will be profiling artists and musicians, recommending museums and galleries, taking an irreverant look at animation, and maybe even throw in a picture or two.
My goal is to create a blog that is similar to Terry Teachout and Our Girl in Chicago's superb About Last Night. I agree that this is a tall order, but I believe that having lofty goals builds character.
Please feel free to pass along ideas and suggestions in the Comments section. And come back as often as you wish!
Art de Triomphe will be profiling artists and musicians, recommending museums and galleries, taking an irreverant look at animation, and maybe even throw in a picture or two.
My goal is to create a blog that is similar to Terry Teachout and Our Girl in Chicago's superb About Last Night. I agree that this is a tall order, but I believe that having lofty goals builds character.
Please feel free to pass along ideas and suggestions in the Comments section. And come back as often as you wish!
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