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editor is Simon Abrahams, who has written a few long pieces on some of the Old Masters and French Impressionists and an unpublished book on art.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.