Three Pipe Problem

Leo Steinberg and the Incessant Last Supper

2012-05-24T15:07:00.000+10:00

Introductory note

The following book review, presented by Dr. Frank DeStefano is dedicated to the memory of art historian and author, Leo Steinberg, who died in March 2011, aged 90. Steinberg's work is not commonly known or discussed outside of specialist circles, and hence formed a natural point of interest for 3PP, which aims to bring such topics into an openly accessible format.

Steinberg was born in Moscow to German-Jewish parents. His father, Isaac Steinberg served as commissar of justice under Lenin, but was reportedly forced into exile in Berlin. The family then moved to London following the rise of Nazism in Germany. In London, young Leo studied painting and sculpture at the Slade School, concluding in 1940. He moved to New York following the Second World War, working as a freelance writer and translator, as well as teaching drawing at the Parsons School of Design. He studied art history at the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, and completed his Ph.D. on Borromini's San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in 1960. During his prolific career he also amassed an impressive collection of Italian prints, which was donated to the University of Austin, Texas in 2002.

Steinberg in 1967

Described as a modernist in his approach, his work on Renaissance art remains among the most unique and controversial in the field, though sometimes chided by commentators such as E.H Gombrich for being unprovable, and a "dangerous model to follow." His most widely discussed exploration of Renaissance art was presented in the book The Sexuality of Christ in Renaissance Art and In Modern Oblivion, first published in 1983. Less well known is his work on Leonardo's Last Supper, a subject he first explored in the 1970s, and returned to in a book published in 2001, Leonardo's Incessant Last Supper. It is this book which is the subject of the following review. -hn

The Borgias: Day of Ashes

2012-05-20T01:16:00.000+10:00

The sixth episode in the second series of The Borgias depicts the religious fervour inspired by Savonarola in Florence. Piero dei Medici finally makes his exit from the city and Pope Alexander and Cesare plot Savonarola's demise. Despite her objections, it is decided that Lucrezia is to be re-married in the interests of securing another favourable financial and military alliance.

Generalism and accuracy in Renaissance publications

2012-05-16T05:54:00.000+10:00

Publications describing the era popularly known as the Renaissance often compartmentalise the period, focusing on art, history or literature (etc). Among the most difficult of undertakings by authors writing about the Renaissance is to attempt a work that coalesces more than one field of study. Although such titles often explore these related fields in brief excursions of detail, the overriding focus usually is reflective of the author's training and field of study.

The Borgias: The Choice

2012-05-14T00:33:00.000+10:00

The fifth episode in the second series of The Borgias finally brings us back to Florence, where we get a glimpse of the fervour descending on the city, incited by Savonarola. The show offers us another look inside the Medici Palace and takes us to Caterina Sforza's fortress at Forli, where Cesare Borgia has been sent to specify the terms of her compliance to Rome.

Expertise and imagination - a Raphael case study

2012-05-08T07:00:00.000+10:00

In late 2010 I had the good fortune to visit the Uffizi, and spent much time staring at the famous self-portrait of Raphael. Little did I know at the time that this painting was to become the spark for a new direction in my learning about art history, and its increasing interface with the sciences.

The Borgias: Stray Dogs

2012-05-05T05:30:00.000+10:00

The fourth episode in the second series of The Borgias is centred around the engagement known as the Battle of Fornovo which occurred on July 6 1495, an altogether bewildering skirmish between the French and the newly minted Holy League. We also see tragedy befall Cesare, who openly reveals his darkening nature and assembles a band of rogues to seek vengeance on the French. Those familiar with Renaissance history may be pleased to note the appearance of Francesco II Gonzaga and Ludovico Sforza. The episode also holds some amusing challenges for fans of art, with glimpses of famous regal portraits by Titian and Clouet featuring the likeness of an actor in the show.

The Borgias: The Beautiful Deception

2012-04-27T04:31:00.000+10:00

The third episode in the second series of The Borgias witnesses the exit of King Charles VIII of France from Naples, and Cesare's first steps towards being head of the Papal Army. Some breathtaking though anachronous art historical references were made, particularly noticeable to fans of Raphael. Giuliano della Rovere makes plans that promise the show will soon return to Florence, and the Sforza arrive to join Charles in a confrontation that never was.

Clarifying the date of Vasari's 1568 edition

2012-04-20T00:50:00.000+10:00

A fact more commonly noted in texts heavy with archival sources are the difficulties faced by interpreters of documents dealing with dates. Depending on the location, year, day and even the time a clarification may be necessary to describe any differences with our modern perception of the calendar. In presenting this summary for discussion, I warmly invite any clarifications to the points mentioned in this post. It seems for some time in Europe and extending across into the Americas, much confusion was caused by the multiplicity and nuances of calendars being used - a disorientation I feel I've had a small taste of in researching this post.

The Borgias: Paolo

2012-04-19T04:40:00.000+10:00

The second episode in season two of The Borgias remained firmly planted in the historical period of early 1495, with King Charles VIII of France still in Naples. The episode provides some fascinating art historical moments, including perhaps the first words uttered by artist Pinturicchio since the sixteenth century. Cesare takes some time to gently school us on the iconography of Saint Cecilia, and playful references discernible to those familiar with the history of Pope Julius II were also made. The key focus of this episode was to tragically end Lucrezia's forbidden relationship with stable boy Paolo, perhaps providing a traumatic emotional context to the impending violence suggested in Lucrezia's and Cesare's future.

The Borgias: The Borgia Bull

2012-04-13T02:02:00.000+10:00

The second season of the Showtime series The Borgias commenced in early April 2012, picking up shortly after the events of the first series. With the forces of King Charles VIII of France occupying Naples, the time period suggested is the first half of 1495. As per season one, 3PP will be presenting reviews focusing on the art and historical elements in the show. This first episode's title itself is a clever play on words, a reference to the bull on the Borgia family crest, and also to the controversial decree issued by Alexander in 1493, the Papal Bull known as the Inter Caetera, which effectively granted the Kingdom of Spain dominion over the new world. This legislation is still a major topic of study and debate concerning land rights issues for the native populations of the Americas.

Leonardo's Battle of Anghiari - reviewing archival evidence

2012-04-10T21:06:00.000+10:00

The modern search for the Leonardo fresco, commonly referred to as The Battle of Anghiari finds its roots in archival research by art historian Professor Rab Hatfield of the University of Syracuse in Florence. The following post will present a synopsis of Hatfield's book on the subject, followed by an interview.

Google Art Project and the CED

2012-04-04T22:40:00.000+10:00

3PP has previously reported on the Google Art Project (GAP), a useful, free tool that allows users to access high resolution images of artworks from a selection of museums around the world. The GAP seems to also have a small set of critics, who not content with a free new tool in multiple languages, seek to compare it to other specialist resources, or even dare suggest that seeing a work on screen is not the same as seeing it in situ. While such commentators seem determined to point out the obvious, the rest of us can enjoy the revised version of the Google Art Project and the new museums added - now a total of 151 from the origina1 17.

Open reporting and the Prado Mona Lisa

2012-03-29T04:03:00.001+11:00

A fascinating case study for open reporting of gallery technical findings is currently playing out in the press and online. Such discussion is usually confined to specialist journals or academic symposia, though in this instance has spilled into the public sphere owing to the great popularity of the artist in question.

Art and patronage in the 21st century - a new paradigm?

2012-03-24T03:02:00.001+11:00

Citadel. Digital painting for Mass Effect by Mikko Kinnunen. 2009.

I believe passionately that games are an art form, and that the power of our medium flows from our audience, who are deeply involved in how the story unfolds, and who have the uncontested right to provide constructive criticism.

Dr. Ray Muzyka
Co-Founder of BioWare Games

Search for Leonardo's Anghiari - new data and reactions

2012-03-16T04:13:00.000+11:00

The Battle of the Standard. Peter Paul Rubens. c.1603. Louvre Museum

On March 12 2012 a press conference held at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence presented the latest findings in the search for the Leonardo fresco Battle of the Standard, believed to be a section of an overall planned depiction of the Battle of Anghiari. Modern reports of this case have hence truncated the title to refer to the piece by the latter name. Having already covered the background to the search, this update will summarise the reaction of key figures to the new data, in the hope of separating it from the more sensationalist reports that have been making the rounds focusing on "Lost Da Vinci evidence found". It is also noted that a documentary summarising the findings of the recent investigation will be presented on National Geographic on March 18 2012 in the US.

From scandal to obscurity - a Raphael case study

2012-02-28T19:38:00.000+11:00

Famous names and distinguished provenances grow on portraits as casually as barnacles on a boat's bottom, and they are rightly regarded with suspicion.

John Shearman

A complete account of Raphael's catalogue of paintings will also examine lesser known pieces that have been linked to him or his studio. Often these works are in private collections, hidden from view and generally known only to specialists. Occasionally such works enter public view, as part of an exhibition or sale. The following case encompasses each of these states. Portrait of a Young Woman was once in a private collection in Genoa, until its alleged acquisition by an Italian art dealer in 1947. In 1969, it was purchased as a Raphael by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, destined to become the jewel of its collection, and coinciding with the museum's centennial celebrations. The events around the painting's acquisition and the international scandal it caused have not been reported at any length in a publicly accessible online forum. The following post aims to outline the particulars of the painting's attribution and its controversial recent history.

Color in Islamic art and culture

2012-02-24T04:07:00.002+11:00

Review by Sedef Piker

Islamic art and culture is often perceived as an enigmatic phenomenon to outsiders, and perennially described as a new frontier for Western intellectuals. And Diverse are Their Hues: Color in Islamic Art and Culture was published by Yale University Press in October 2011. It is a collection of research papers focusing on the role of color in Islamic art and culture, presented by twelve distinguished scholars for the Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium, held in Cordoba (Spain) in 2009. Drs. Sheila Blair and Jonathan Bloom, the Hamad bin Khalifa Chairs of Islamic Art in Virginia Commonwealth University are the editors and the authors of the introduction to this impressive undertaking.

To my great delight, this volume took my existing knowledge into new realms, encompassing a wide range of fascinating subjects. From the aesthetics of color in Islamic architecture, gardens and manuscripts, to the role of color in spiritualism and the quest for power and political legitimacy. These explorations also extended to include cross-cultural comparisons present in colonial Latin America.

The enigma of authenticity - Raphael's Lady with a Unicorn

2012-02-15T04:34:00.000+11:00

When studying Raphael's catalogue of paintings, what quickly becomes apparent is the general discord between scholars over a significant number of pieces. The following case study presents an example of a work that is traditionally ascribed to Raphael - the grounds of which seem based on a history of critical speculation rather than any conclusive historical, stylistic or technical evidence. The aim of this post is to highlight questions that must be asked when reviewing a statement confidently linking a work to an artist. The review guidelines in this instance will be the same as outlined in previous examples.

A search for truth and clarity - a Michelangelo case study

2012-02-08T19:34:00.002+11:00

In May 2010, at the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome, art historian and restorer Antonio Forcellino presented a case for two additions to Michelangelo's small catalogue of "portable" paintings. The two small panel paintings depicted a Pietà and a Crucifixion, the former in a private collection in New York, the latter at Oxford University. These findings were published in an Italian journal in June 2010, with a narrative version of the story released in English in May 2011. The following post aims to create a detailed but concise distillation of the evidence presented across these and related publications, in the interests of public accessibility.

Color and Meaning in Giorgione's Three Ages

2012-01-27T12:50:00.001+11:00

The Three Ages of Man

by Dr. Francis P. DeStefano

Giorgione’s Three Ages of Man* is another one of his paintings that has so far eluded identification. The name of the painting that now hangs in the Pitti Palace is pure guesswork stemming only from the obvious disparity in ages of the three men. One appears to be in his sixties, another in his early thirties, and the last a young man in his teens.

The circular fortunes of the von Baden Madonna

2012-01-20T13:57:00.002+11:00

The von Baden Madonna c.1500. Private collection

An upcoming old masters sale at Sotheby's New York offers a Madonna and Child with the description circle of Raphael. In terms of attribution, a piece labelled in this manner indicates that the author is not conclusively known, its style instead likened to a type of work produced by an artist working in a similar manner and sharing common influences to Raphael. To add further intrigue, tucked into this entry in the Sotheby's catalogue is this fascinating revelation:

The mausoleum of Constantina

2012-01-17T01:57:00.001+11:00

Architecture and mosaic art on the cusp of Christendom

by Agnes Crawford

On the via Nomentana, two miles outside the walls hurriedly thrown up by the Emperor Aurelian between 271 and 275, is the place where the young martyr Agnes is believed to be buried. Her life (and death) is one of myth and contradiction. Tradition says she was executed following her refusal to marry a Roman nobleman. Whether this took place during the furious mid-third-century persecutions of Christians ordered by the Emperors Decius, Gallus, or Valerian, or perhaps those of Diocletian at the very beginning of the fourth century, is uncertain. These doubts notwithstanding she is a key figure in the early church, the Depositio Martyrum of 336 referring to the celebration of her feast day; the “XII Kal. Feb. Agnetis, in Nomentana”. She is clearly also a favourite of St Ambrose, who lauded her in his De Virginibus (337), his De officiis of c. 391, and to whom the hymn “Agnes Beatae Virginis” is attributed.

The Allendale Nativity - connoisseurship and controversy

2011-12-23T00:40:00.000+11:00

The subjective nature of assessments made towards authorship of artworks has been an enduring controversy. In an age before technical examination played an increasing role in art analysis, a specialised mode of visual analysis served as the key means of determining the author of a piece. This method, known as connoisseurship is still a central component in art analysis today. The history of this mode of examination is not without its disputes.

Francesco I de' Medici and the Renaissance microcosm

2011-12-18T19:28:00.000+11:00

Francesco I de' Medici and the Renaissance microcosm
by Clare Brown

Reading the 3PP post on the studiolo of Francesco I de' Medici recalled my dissertation work on the gardens at Pratolino. Accepting an invitation to explore this further, the following piece examines the thematic relationship between Francesco's studiolo and the gardens surrounding the Villa di Pratolino.

Pratolino describes "small field/meadow". This large piece of land about 10 miles north of Florence was purchased by Francesco in the late 1560s. Orchestrated by his court architect/designer Bernardo Buontalenti, the massive project was completed in 1581. The wonders - comprising of fountains, rare botanics, fish ponds, grottos, statuary, complex hydraulics and automata - that were erected in this garden and within the villa itself were astonishing. For many years it was a high point for those people on the Grand Tours of the 17th and 18th centuries; both Michel de Montaigne and John Evelyn noted the glories in their diaries.

Portrait of Julius II - a Raphael case study

2011-12-14T04:02:00.000+11:00

The reason that hidden things ought not to be communicated to everyone is that when these things are revealed, they seem to everyone to be discordant

Nicolaus Cusanus

De Sapienta

On December 6 2011, the Städel Museum in Frankfurt announced its possession of a workshop copy of Raphael's Portrait of Pope Julius II. A picture with a convoluted provenance and attribution history, it made the perfect candidate for a case study in the manner of my ongoing Raphael project. As testimony to the responsiveness of online publishing, a synthesis of the great number of sources for this painting now integrates the Städel panel as a point of comparison. The following information presents the National Gallery version as the prime candidate for Raphael's authorship of visible surface elements, a position held by Raphael scholars since the later part of the twentieth century, with one notable exception.