-
The Changing Face of Vallotton
Before photography came along paintings were undoubtedly the best way of providing a lasting imprint of a person’s physical appearance. It’s always confused and delighted me how dabs of paint on a canvas can be transformed into a likeness of a person, and at the hands of the best artists, can reveal a true sense of temperament and character. And due to our natural predisposition to study faces, it is perhaps one of the hardest painterly tasks to get right (one only needs look at the sincere but botched ‘Monkey Jesus’ Fresco to see how wrong it can go).
-
Ecce Homo
Lorsque je lis ce titre, la première chose qui me vient à l’esprit est d’imaginer cet homme. “Voici l’Homme” signifie pour moi la venue, la présentation d’une personne monumentale, forte, venant s’imposer en conquérant devant une foule de fanatiques qui l’ovationnerait, l’idolâtrerait, tel un Mick Jagger ou un Iggy Pop pendant un concert. En histoire de l’art, cette expression, aussi connue sous le terme “Ecce homo”, est bien différente de ce que nous pouvons nous imaginer. Cet Ecce Homo, est en réalité le Christ, flagellé, couronné d’épines et présenté à la foule par Ponce Pilate avant sa crucifixion. Très loin de l’assurance dont je parlais au début de cet écrit,…
-
Ecce homo, ved aquí al hombre
Solo puedo decir que estoy francamente impresionada por la campaña publicitaria que ha lanzado el Getty para promocionar la muestra dedicada al recién restaurado retablo del maestro renacentista holandés Maerten van Heemskerck (1498-1574), «Drama and Devotion: Heemskerck’s “Ecce Homo” Altarpiece from Warsaw»… Contratar a una devota y bienintencionada octogenaria para «retocar» un eccehomomenor en una pequeña iglesia española con un resultado tan ridículamente jocoso que se convierta en el tema del momento y que ponga los Cristos y las restauraciones de arte de primerísima actualidad… No puedo más que rendirme a los pies de ese genial e increíblemente retorcido publicista en cuyas manos Internet es poco más que una redecilla…
-
Restoration or Paint-by-numbers
I’m going to take this opportunity to get back on my high horse about the restoration and conservation of art for posterity’s sake. J. Paul Getty Museum, you’re doing it right! Maerten van Heemskerck, a 16th century Netherlandish painter, bestowed Ecce Homo upon us, a masterpiece which usually resides in Warsaw, but has travelled all the way to Los Angeles – maybe not the first place I’d go after leaving Warsaw; however, definitely a site to see. A curatorial team and group of scientists have spruced it up, preserved it further, and learned more about it than has been known before. Not only has nothing but good come of this,…
This is an interactive art blog in multi languages, you will find new articles on artists, art history, exhibitions, etc. Contributions welcome.
You must be logged in to post a comment.