Three Pipe Problem

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.

Renaissance prints in daily life

2011-12-11T18:30:00.000+11:00

Renaissance art extended beyond the breathtaking panels and frescoes that are emblematic of the era. In Europe, the advent of the printing press, as well as refinements in other printing technologies resulted in an unprecedented production of items for use by a larger audience. The Art Institute of Chicago, custodian of an impressive collection of Renaissance prints hosted Altered and Adorned - an exhibition dedicated to this theme, ending July 2011. The accompanying catalogue, and its usefulness as a resource is the focus of the following review.

Examining workshop attributions - a Raphael case study

2011-12-06T16:29:00.001+11:00

Madonna della Rosa. Raphael and workshop. c.1517-20. Prado Museum. Madrid

An upcoming old masters sale at Sotheby's London lists a depiction of the Holy Family attributed to the workshop of Raphael. Having covered how to define authorship of a workshop piece, and outlined a framework for assessing attribution reports, I was eager to use this opportunity to explore the evidence presented.

Perugino's entrancing heavenward gaze

2011-12-04T23:43:00.001+11:00

Perugino at the Alte Pinakothek, Munich

by Glennis McGregor

Perugino: Raphael's Master is currently running at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Although touted as the first major Perugino exhibition outside Italy, a precedent is noted in 1997 at the Grand Rapids Art Museum in Michigan.*

On a frosty Friday morning in Munich, I arrived at the exhibition full of anticipation. In terms of insight into Perugino's influences, I wasn't disappointed. However, I came away feeling that the billing Perugino: Raphael's Master was more a marketing headline than an indication of the central focus of the exhibition. This is superbly ironic, given that this is meant to be Perugino's moment in the sun after half a millennium in Raphael's shadow. Yet in order to draw crowds for Perugino, Raphael's name was invoked, perhaps necessarily. This has been Perugino's posthumous fate, and we poignantly seek insight into his work in this context.

The Judgement of Paris - Reviewing evidential standards

2011-11-23T20:09:00.001+11:00

Truth has no beginning or end

De Veritate

Anselm of Canterbury

A series of recent posts at Art History Today have featured the work of art historian Greame Cameron. In a newly published volume, Cameron introduces a seemingly new modality to art analysis, and proceeds to outline some startling new claims about works related to old masters including Leonardo and Raphael. One of the great announcements of this new book was the attribution to Raphael of a piece depicting The Judgement of Paris. As attribution methodology is the focus of my own Raphael project, I used this opportunity to explore the claims made by Cameron, to provide readers with a clear appraisal of information presented at Art History Today.

Re-examining Titian's Sacred and Profane Love

2011-11-16T02:26:00.001+11:00

The Conversion of Mary Magdalen

by Dr. Francis P. DeStefano

Perhaps the most spectacular work of art in the magnificent collection of Rome’s Borghese Gallery is Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love, one of the great masterpieces of the Venetian Renaissance. Early in the last century a collector offered more for this one painting than the appraised value of the entire Museum. This enormous painting measures over nine feet long and seems to take up almost an entire wall in one of the largest rooms.

The title Sacred and Profane Love was only attached to the mysterious painting long after Titian’s death in an attempt to describe the two beautiful fair-haired women in the foreground. One is fully clothed in a sumptuous gown, and the other is semi-nude except for garments that billow around her but only cover her privates. The sarcophagus-like fountain and the figures on the relief have also eluded identification.

Iconographic analysis - a Titian case study

2011-11-10T10:51:00.001+11:00

...internal perfection produces the external. The former we can call goodness, the latter beauty.

Marsilio Ficino

Commentarium in Convivium Platonis de Amore

The iconographic study of art has become an increasingly esoteric pursuit. That art of any period contains symbols representing deeper meaning is universally accepted. In Renaissance art specifically, complex readings are required of certain works - attempting to coalesce a dazzling array of motifs into a unifying construct - one which is not explained in notes left by the artist, but by an art historian speculating on the topic centuries later.

Modes of Renaissance colour

2011-11-02T21:33:00.000+11:00

Shades of Unreal: Colour modes in Italian Renaissance Art & 3D Games
by Glennis McGregor

My attraction to the brilliant colour of early Renaissance painting is what started me on my journey into the history of art. At the same time, 3D graphics have always felt like the most beautiful niche in digital design; my area of work. In this post I explore one of the many common threads drawing these art forms together – the emergence of colour modes that create a beautiful 'unreality'.

Early Renaissance painters strove to create sacred worlds that were not too alien to relate to, but at the same time were clearly more beautiful than their own. This corresponded to the Medieval Christian belief that reality was a pale reflection of heaven. Saint Paul stated in his Epistle to the Corinthians I, 13:12, “At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then [in heaven] face to face”.¹

Colouring therefore, could offer the observer a glimpse of the brighter world of salvation. In the world of 3D games and film, colour is also central to creating an alternative world, where the nature of unreality is fine tuned with hue, shadow and light. Although the worlds of contemporary mass entertainment are not sacred, the promise to escape into them surely is.

La Belle Jardinière - A Raphael case study

2011-10-21T03:12:00.000+11:00

This post is dedicated to the memory of Sylvie Béguin, a renowned scholar and leading exponent in the technical examination of Renaissance art, particularly the works of Raphael in the Louvre.

La Belle Jardinière is among the most well-known of Raphael's paintings. Visited by millions at the Louvre each year, viewers marvel at the painterly skill of the young master from Urbino. Among scholars, this piece represents the pinnacle of Raphael's achievements prior to his departure for Rome. Gone are the stiffer compositions of Raphael's Umbrian phase under master Perugino. The stylistic influences of Raphael's Florentine exposure are clear to see, from Leonardo and Michelangelo particularly, and to a less documented extent, Fra Bartolomeo.

As is often the case with images which have achieved an iconic status, interesting nuances can be easily glossed over amidst a deluge of hyperbole. This post aims to avoid this, and instead explore the rich documentary and scientific evidence for this piece. Of particular interest is the debate over the date indicated in the hem of the Virgin's gown, as well as the link to a famous description in Vasari. Thanks to the efforts of technical staff at the Louvre, under the guidance of the late Sylvie Béguin, we now have some facts to match against the documentary accounts.

Authorship - towards a unifying framework

2011-10-16T17:46:00.003+11:00

You have seen that the exactness of truth cannot be attained. The consequence is that every positive human assertion of the truth is a conjecture…

Nicolaus Cusanus
De Mente

There is a paucity of resources on the methodology used by professionals involved in the authentication of artworks. A task primarily conducted by the art market, museum sector, academia and law enforcement, authentication involves the adoption of an array of technologies - coupled with traditional visual methods, known as connoisseurship.

Giorgione in Early Modern sources

2011-10-14T02:49:00.001+11:00

Giorgione's David is widely regarded as a self-portrait

Giorgione and archival entanglements

by Dr. Edward L. Goldberg*

In the June 2011 edition of The Burlington Magazine, Renata Segre revealed the discovery of an important document —an inventory (dated 14 March 1511) of the property of “the late master Giorgio the painter” who died in a plague hospital in Venice. This important new evidence confirmed the old assumption that Giorgione was a plague victim. In addition, Giorgio the painter was described as the heir of “sier Iohannis Gasparini”. This led Segre to the assumption that Giorgione's family name was in fact Gasparini, and not Barbarelli, as cited by scholars until this point.

The windows of the mind

2011-10-13T04:43:00.000+11:00

Rooms with a view

by Dr. Ben Harvey

Window frames

Gustave Caillebotte’s Young Man at His Window (1876) is a favourite work by one of my favourite artists. Placing a male figure inside a new Parisian apartment, Caillebotte shows him looking out of an open window, over a chunky balustrade, and down onto the street below. Hands in his pockets, the young man’s pose is confident and alert—perhaps even a little predatory. We quickly surmise that he was probably only recently sitting in that plush armchair behind him; and that it may have been a glimpse of something or someone in the street that prompted him to stand to attention. For there, in the distance, Paris’s architecture converges around, and isolates, the distinctive triangular form of an unaccompanied female figure.

Recounting Raphael's digits

2011-10-10T02:36:00.002+11:00

Those trained to observe peculiarities in anatomy may notice a pattern of sorts emerging when looking at Raphael paintings for an amount of time. As someone with this type of training, whilst working on my Raphael project I began to notice some anatomical variation in the feet of some of his figures. Deciding to investigate it further, I was delighted to find that colleagues working in the health profession had been discussing this for a while. In a British Medical Journal commentary published in 2000, Polydactyly reported by Raphael (Mimouni et al) attracted great interest from medical professionals around the world.

Estranged devices of devotion

2011-10-06T03:52:00.000+11:00

Devotion by Design was published to accompany the 2011 National Gallery London exhibition of Italian altarpieces before 1500. Written by Dr. Scott Nethersole, currently a lecturer in Italian Renaissance art at The Courtauld Institute, it provides a fascinating exploration of the challenges facing art historians involved in the study of altarpieces. That the volume manages to acknowledge these issues in the course of its presentation, and still remains accessible to a general audience is among its great strengths. The following review therefore, is an assay of the catalogue as a resource in its own right, and not a review of the exhibition.

Bankers, Botticelli and the Bonfire of the Vanities

2011-10-03T02:31:00.001+11:00

Detail from Botticelli's The Calumny of Apelles

Money and Beauty: Bankers, Botticelli and the Bonfire of the Vanities

by Dr. Edward Goldberg

Ever since Denaro e Bellezza/Money and Beauty opened on 17 September, I have been bombarded with queries from friends and colleagues around the world, asking me (basically), “Should I come to Florence for the big Botticelli Show at Palazzo Strozzi?”

After visiting it last week I can give you a quick and concise reply, “By all means, come to Florence, whenever and however you can. And when you are here, don’t miss Denaro e Bellezza. Don’t, however, arrange a special trip—if you are in it for the art.”

The latest Palazzo Strozzi show is generally well done—as a museum-related activity for the whole family. But visually, è un po’ scarsa, as the Italians say. More often than not, the wall texts overwhelm the objects (which is difficult to avoid, when you have more to say than to show and need to do it in both Italian and English.)

The symbolic transcendence of Saint Sebastian

2011-09-27T01:27:00.001+10:00

Portrait of Anthony of Burgundy. Rogier van der Weyden. c.1461-3

Poetry, therefore, is a more philosophical and a higher thing than history: for poetry tends to express the universal, history the particular.

Aristotle

Poetics

The Deposito Martyrum, a document cataloguing martyrs within the catacombs of Rome is the first reference to the 3rd century figure known as Saint Sebastian. Later accounts, compiled in the Acta Sanctorum describe the Acts of Saint Sebastian, largely believed to be a commentary by Saint Ambrose of Milan related in the 4th century. Sebastian is related to be an esteemed member of the Praetorian Guard, using his position to bring comfort and healing to Christians suffering the persecution of Roman Emperor Diocletian.

Upon discovery, he was sentenced to death, with fellow Roman soldiers riddling Sebastian with many arrows "like an urchin" (porcupine in some translations). Despite his injuries, Sebastian was not killed, and was nursed back to health. Sebastian's recovery gave him a stronger resolve to chastise Diocletian for his mistreatment of the Christians. Outraged, the emperor's men set upon Sebastian, killing him and dispatching his body into a sewer. His body was later retrieved and given an honorable burial.

Crowdsourcing a lost Leonardo

2011-09-19T04:51:00.000+10:00

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

Much has been written about the pivotal nature of the contest between Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, contracted by the city of Florence in 1504 to execute paintings of historic battles on adjacent walls of the Palazzo Vecchio. These projects were never finished, though surviving accounts relate that even the preparatory cartoons attracted the admiration of many that beheld them.

Cicero on Greek sculpture and art crime

2011-09-07T01:48:00.000+10:00

Roman era statue of Diana. Vatican Museum

Marcus Tullius Cicero as art historian

by Dr. Liz Gloyn

We don’t automatically think of Marcus Tullius Cicero, the eminent late Republican politician, as an ancient art historian. He is more remembered for his involvement in the infamous Catilinarian Conspiracy and his unpleasant demise (after his death, his hands and his head were nailed to the Rostrum in the Roman Forum). However, if we explore an earlier period of his career, he gives us an unexpected insight into one way that the Romans of his time thought about the role of art.

Exploring a new Caravaggio attribution

2011-08-23T02:24:00.005+10:00

Room for a new Caravaggio?

by Prof. Monica Bowen

I recently was lucky enough to receive a review copy of the exhibition catalog, Caravaggio and His Followers in Rome (to be published September 6, 2011). However, upon opening the catalog, I noted with dismay that Caravaggio's newly "discovered" painting of Saint Augustine will only be displayed at the National Gallery of Canada. Instead of traveling with the rest of the exhibition to the Kimbell Art Museum (Fort Worth, Texas) this fall, Saint Augustine will go on display in an Italian exhibition to open this November, "Roma al tempo di Caravaggio" (Palazzo Venezia). What a disappointment! I was looking forward to seeing the painting when I visit the show in Texas.

Enhancing the art of seeing: a Leonardo case study

2011-07-29T08:21:00.020+10:00

The acquisition of any knowledge is always of use to the intellect, because it may thus drive out useless things and retain the good. For nothing can be loved or hated unless it is first known.
Leonardo da Vinci
Notebooks

Any area of study is enhanced by an increased capacity to make use of relevant findings provided by new forms of analysis. The process of determining authorship of an artwork, particularly in the Renaissance is at present, a largely undocumented, hidden endeavour. A task primarily concerning the art market, academic and museum sector, its dealings occasionally permeate the public sphere when a new discovery emerges associated with a well known artist.

Sofonisba Anguissola and the Problem of the Woman Artist

2011-07-20T03:20:00.011+10:00

But in those parts which can be portrayed by art, I have not failed to use all the diligence in my power and knowledge, in order to present the truth...
Sofonisba Anguissola
Letter to Pope Pius IV

Mary Garrard on Sofonisba Anguissola and the Problem of the Woman Artist

by Sedef Piker

Before I get started I must admit some trepidation about writing this post since I am no scholar but only a student of art history. Art is the great passion in my life and Mary D. Garrard's article Here’s Looking at Me: Sofonisba Anguissola and the Problem of the Woman Artist, is the embodiment of all that I find fascinating and stimulating about the creative process - how an artist can make a statement and express herself, in spite of the common ideals imposed on her by a confining society.

Platonic receptacles, Leonardo and the Salvator Mundi

2011-07-18T05:15:00.020+10:00

Readers have requested a summary of the iconographic and provenance details of the newly attributed Leonardo piece depicting Christ as Salvator Mundi. This post summarises a possible interpretation of the iconography, and lists the presently available information on provenance. A future publication by Yale University Press, The Lost Christ of Leonardo da Vinci promises the fullest possible detail, due in early 2012.

Celebrating a milestone

2011-07-14T05:18:00.018+10:00

This picture can help you win a prize... more info below

3PP was started in 2009 after realising I had become restless as writer and contributor at several tech sites. Returning my attention to Renaissance art and history after having studied both many years ago, what I have been proudest of is how each post represents a new challenge for learning, sharing information and resources. My very first post at 3PP, about Ancient Greek architect Phidias and Alma-Tadema, was quite basic, and my readers at this early stage were curious friends from my past projects humouring me by having a look in.

A very wise woman once said blogging is all about learning. Most posts at 3PP do not come fully formed, but are sparked by something I read, a documentary I've seen or a post read elsewhere. The great advantage of publishing online is its immediacy. The wonderful way bloggers can respond to other posts and new developments eclipses anything that can be done in other media at such a low cost, reaching a potentially large audience with little infrastructure beyond having access to a computer with an internet connection.

Authorship and the dangers of consensus

2011-07-11T05:49:00.047+10:00

The Connoisseurs. 1783. David Allen. National Gallery Scotland*

He who wishes to be rich in a day will be hanged in a year.
Leonardo da Vinci
Notebooks

In reviewing evidence pertinent to the authenticity of an artwork, a definition of authorship is required, particularly with regards to pieces created in workshops under the direction of a master or group of masters, as notably occurred during the Renaissance.

With scientific methods increasingly used to contribute data to attributions, it is necessary to create a definition that satisfies the requirements of art historians applying traditional stylistic criteria, as well as the scientists contributing information on surfaces and pigments.

Before examining what considerations are necessary to define authorship, a brief overview of the constituents of an oil on panel painting are worth revising. For the purposes of this illustration, the focus will first be on Raphael. In describing the process of reporting evidence, a second part looking at works now attributed to Leonardo has been included. Readers can explore each section separately if they wish, although there is an intended unifying theme across both.

Rehabilitating the Queen's Raphael

2011-07-02T22:35:00.014+10:00

Tucked away in the Queen's Collection at Hampton Court is a most curious and delightful portrait. Once a great jewel in the Royal Collection, it now occupies a place of relative obscurity, relegated to being described as the work of a Raphael follower. However, there is much more to this picture. John Shearman, one of the most prominent Raphael scholars of the last century describes the portrait's history as one of the "oddest" in the Royal collection.

Much of the discussion about subject and author of this piece revolves around the inscription seen on the buttons on close examination - where the words RAFFAELLO and VRBINVS are inscribed on the left and right buttons respectively. Earlier commentators believed these to be later additions, but later microscopic analysis revealed otherwise, leading Shearman to more confidently pronounce this piece as a Raphael original. Presence of extensive underdrawing and pentimenti also suggest the work is not a copy.

Celebrating new platforms for debate

2011-06-29T03:59:00.025+10:00

Claude Monet. Impression, soleil levant. Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris*

All we know of the truth is that the absolute truth, such as it is, is beyond our reach
Nicolaus Cusanus
De Docta Ignorantia

One of the greatest luxuries of working within certain media is a freedom from accountability, or impetus to respond to critics in any form of detail. Newspaper commentaries, documentaries, even blogs present a platform for individuals to express an opinion, but do not uniformly require a justification of the information presented. The BBC's Fake or Fortune episode about the alleged Monet owned by David Joel has created a fascinating debate. Initial responses to this program were emotive, as evidenced by UK TV reviewer Sam Wollaston:

And there is only one conclusion, that lovely David's Monet is a Monet, everyone agrees. Oh, except Guy Wildenstein. Who he? The judge of course. He is head of this Paris-based organisation called the Wildenstein Institute. Guess how he got that job; was it a) because he's the world's leading expert on Monet, or b) because of his surname and because Daddy had the job before him? Anyway, he gets to decide what is and what isn't a Monet, and – even more extraordinary – the auction houses, the art world as a whole, go along with it. There are asses wherever you look; it's one massive mass moon.

Reading Wollaston's reactionary piece, I resolved to present a calmer summary of the details in the episode, as well as a clip to those of us outside iPlayer range. Being far removed from the art world, my interest in attributions is not tied to commercial gain, but a fascination with evidential processes applied in a context where science is playing an increasing role in supporting the documentary and stylistic analyses performed by authentication experts.

A distressing matter of connoisseurship

2011-06-26T15:59:00.012+10:00

Fake or Fortune is a remarkable new BBC series. It explores the processes involved in authenticating artworks to determine their value as well as gain acceptance as part of a particular artist's body of work. The first episode focused on an alleged Claude Monet presently owned by retired Royal Navy Officer David Joel.

The most impressive aspect of this program was the respect given to the owner and his family. This is generally unusual in the attribution game, with experts and organisations often regarding claimants with a degree of incredulity and even ridicule. This was refreshingly not the case in this episode. The show is presented by UK journalist Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould - author and art dealer. Mould is perhaps most recognisable as one of the experts on the British version of Antiques Roadshow. He appears prominently in various media and runs a London Gallery. One of his more intriguing discoveries was a Gainsborough painting, reported as found on eBay for 120 pounds.

The skewed realities of Renaissance Faces

2011-06-24T00:10:00.011+10:00

Holbein the Younger. Portrait of a Lady with a Squirrel and Starling*

In 2008-9 The National Gallery London (NGL) hosted Renaissance Faces, an exhibition traversing the evolution of portraiture across Europe between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The exhibition had an accompanying DVD and catalogue - the latter of which has recently been issued in paperback format via Yale University Press. Reviewers can often be flippant about catalogue volumes, particularly those containing little more than an inventory of the exhibition in question. In this instance however, preceding the catalogue entries are poignant essays on different aspects of Renaissance portraiture. These collectively transform this volume into a valuable resource on this topic.

Margaret Koster, van Eyck and Psychosocial unity

2011-06-18T07:18:00.014+10:00

Jan van Eyck's famous portrait of a man and woman is a wonderful example of an artwork replete with symbolic devices. Writers through the ages have attempted to piece these together into a unifying construct, to best suit artistic conventions of van Eyck's era, as well as the documentary evidence surrounding the figures depicted. Among the more notable interpretations, the readings by Erwin Panofsky and Lorne Campbell are the most widely known.

What's in a name?

On display at he National Gallery London, this piece is currently titled The Arnolfini Portrait. This is a succinct and accurate descriptor. Over the years, a number of titles have been given to the piece, such as The Arnolfini Marriage, which is largely in keeping with Panofsky's interpretation of this painting as a notarised marriage contract. Art historians often bicker about these arbitrary names assigned to works - time perhaps better spent contemplating why they are bickering in the first place. Are they really arguing over facts, or their interpretation of these facts?

Pride, Prejudice & Neurocognition

2011-06-14T04:44:00.012+10:00

Jan van Eyck ?Self Portrait. 1433. National Gallery London*

Like many others keenly tracking the progress of art history online, I have been visiting Every Painter Paints Himself, the blog and art magazine site authored by independent art historian Simon Abrahams.

Those more familiar with his work may detect a strong, perhaps grim sense of purpose in his writing. His site is divided between articles and blog entries, the two formats seeming interchangeable according to the author's whim. The chief difference a visitor to the site will observe is that the articles are closed to commentary, whereas the blog posts, despite similar themes to the articles, do have a commenting facility appended.

The key to a successful blog in any genre is producing content that is unique and representative of a strong individual voice. It also doesn't hurt if the content is presented in an appealing way. In both instances, Abrahams's site is very successful at achieving this, something which not many art historians online can boast of. However, upon closer inspection, external observers may feel something is amiss.

Re-examining the Vision of Ezekiel

2011-06-10T01:04:00.011+10:00

Re-examining the Vision of Ezekiel

by Dr. Francis P. DeStefano

In a recent post at Three Pipe Problem, I read of the controversy currently raging in Italy over the authenticity of a Raphael painting known as the Vision of Ezekiel now in the Pitti Palace in Florence. The question of whether this painting was by Raphael or one of his associates was of lesser interest, but as I read on another question came to mind.

It would appear that the subject of the painting has been misunderstood ever since Giorgio Vasari mentioned it in his biography of Raphael.

Muses and Memory

2011-06-08T23:10:00.006+10:00

The Pastoral Concert. Attributed to Titian. c.1509. The Louvre *

Muses and Memory

by Dr. Juliette Harrisson

All ancient myth exists in many versions in different places and it is naturally flexible and adaptable, never more so than in the case of the Muses. Pausanias, writing his Description of Greece under Roman rule in the second century CE, claims that there were originally three, Melete (meditation), Mneme (memory), and Aoede (song). These became the Nine Olympian Muses; Kalliope (epic poetry), Kleio (history), Ourania (astronomy), Thaleia (comedy), Melpomene (tragedy), Polyhymnia (religious hymns), Erato (erotic poetry), Euterpe (lyric poetry) and Terpsikhore (choral song and dance).

However, there are numerous different groups of Muses, all with slightly different names and functions. There are the three or four Titan Muses, the three Apollonides, the Pierides, the Muses of Helicon and numerous other groups in other regions. They are all always female and always concerned with the general area of music and poetry, but other details vary widely. The identity of their parents varies from version to version as well, sometimes given as Uranus and Gaia or their mother given as Harmonia, but most often, they are described as the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, Memory. This most frequent story is the key to their function in ancient thought and art.

Giorgione's woman in red

2011-06-04T01:08:00.008+10:00

Giorgio Gasparini (Giorgione) Laura. c.1506. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Reading a scholarly catalogue volume, we sometimes get the impression that there has been nothing new happening in the study of Renaissance art. This is perhaps true for some of the more traditional aspects of art historical contemplation, such as the discussion of allegory and its links with the broader historical context of the patron and period.

What is less known is that there are many discoveries still to be made. In Italy alone, there lie millions of archival documents yet to be examined. I'd like to present an example of this - a summary of an article presented in the June 2011 edition of The Burlington Magazine.

Raphael's vision and an Italian storm

2011-06-01T13:52:00.042+10:00

A great art historical controversy has engulfed Italian academia and the press, surrounding the authenticity of a piece traditionally attributed to Raphael, The Vision of Ezekiel.

Recorded as being part of the Medici collection since 1589, it was initially housed at the Uffizi. After Napoleonic forces plundered Italy, this small panel was spirited away to Paris in 1799, not returned to Florence until 1816. It is now part of the collection at the Palatine Gallery at the Palazzo Pitti.

There are in fact differing accounts in Italian art historical sources related to the original date of this work. It was established as first belonging to the Ercolani family of Bologna, prior to it being ceded to the Medici collection. Vasari states that it was created after 1514, whereas Malvasia, a 17th Century art historian from Bologna cites it as being created previous to this. There is mention of a transaction between Raphael and the Ercolani in 1510, though it was for a small amount of money, inconsistent with a Raphael commission at any time after 1510. Some authors have suggested this was a form of down payment, but others argue against this, stating that such payments were not typical for a small piece. Some monographs also float the possibility of this being a work completed by Raphael pupil Giulio Romano, hence dating it at a period after Raphael's death in 1520. The evidence these scholars have based their detailed speculations on is less discernable.

Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray, annotated & uncensored

2011-05-30T23:55:00.008+10:00

Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray, annotated & uncensored
by Dr. Ben Harvey

Near the beginning of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, after Dorian has had his portrait painted, he mysteriously divides into two. While his body stops aging and appears unchanged, the miraculous portrait becomes a “mirror of the soul” and charts Dorian’s colourful physical and moral deterioration. There is no single Dorian Gray: there are multiple Dorian Grays.

This fact of division (and multiplication)—let us call it the Dorian principle—applies equally to the story that gave him life. In the early 1890s, the tale appeared in two different versions. The story appeared first in the July 1890 edition of Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine, a Philadelphia-based literary journal; then the following spring, Ward, Lock and Company published an expanded version of the story in book form.

The Lippincott's Dorian July 1890

Now comes a third Dorian Gray, an “annotated, uncensored edition,” edited by Nicholas Frankel, published by Harvard University (Belknap) Press in April 2011. This Dorian looks better than ever. He comes in a hardback cover, sports a large, square-ish format, and contains almost eighty illustrations, many in colour. Truth be known, he’s put on a bit of weight over the years, and now carries some extra padding: two introductory essays, copious explanatory notes, and two appendices. He’s also a bit paradoxical in nature, a bit of an upstart: although he’s now over 120 years old, and fairly scholarly in appearance, he’s making the claim that he’s the real McCoy, the original and best, the one and only Dorian. Dorian uncensored!

Livetweeting Florence

2011-05-29T20:12:00.013+10:00

Seeing Raphael's self portrait last year proved ominous, a painting I have since learnt more about

During my trip to Florence late last year I was hoping to liveblog what I experienced. For those that are not familiar with the term, liveblogging is blogging about something as you are experiencing it. This is commonly done in the tech world, reporting on conferences and press events showcasing the latest applications and hardware.

Due to logistical issues, I did not get around to liveblogging my trip but did do an abbreviated form it using the twitter platform via my phone. Making brief notes about a specific event as it is happening is much more suited to the twitter platform, and is usually called livetweeting.

Interview with Marcia B. Hall

2011-05-27T23:29:00.007+10:00

3PP is proud to present this interview with Professor Marcia B. Hall, art historian and Director of Graduate Studies at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. Marcia's work is a source of great inspiration to scholars and students alike. Following the tremendous response to the review posted for The Sacred Image in the Age of Art, I invited Marcia to answer some questions about the book, as well as explore some of the challenges facing the discipline of art history.

The Borgias: Nessuno (Nobody)

2011-05-27T04:57:00.020+10:00

Francesco Francia. The Burial of Saint Cecilia. c.1504-06. Oratorio di Santa Cecilia, Bologna

The series one finale of The Borgias continued its liberal but intriguing mix of fact versus fiction. Sticklers for historical accuracy will likely find this episode the most challenging of all - with the introduction of a child for Lucrezia. Those more into an entertaining story may find this episode less rewarding as well, which for want of a better description could be best described as anticlimactic for a series finale. For fans of the period's art, there was a clearer glimpse at the elusive painting at the convent, allowing its accurate identification as a fresco created in Bologna some 10 years after the show's setting

From Pompeii to Cyberspace - Transcending barriers with Twitter

2011-05-24T01:21:00.025+10:00

Vincenzo Foppa. Young Cicero Reading c.1460s. The Wallace Collection

An interesting set of events has played out over the last few days, which I would like to document here. I believe it is a fascinating case study of the power of social networking platforms to connect individuals in real time, and allow efficient collaboration and information exchange.

However, there is an important social dynamic which the academics involved have either failed to mention or perhaps do not think important. As a member of the public, and not an academic, I found this to be the most demonstrative facet of the entire experience.

What happened? In plain terms, a group of historians specialising in Ancient Greek/Roman studies, collectively explored the translation of a graffiti inscription at Pompeii. It happened quite spontaneously, and seemed to accumulate participants and observers as it went along. That I happened to get caught up in it, as a humble art history blogger, is the curious part.

Diary of a Borgia Pope - The Tale of Johannes Burchardus

2011-05-21T05:14:00.013+10:00

The Diary Keeper of the Borgia Pope

by Mary Jo Gibson

“Let writers of history remember never to dare to tell a lie nor fear to tell the truth.” Pope Leo XIII

Johannes Burchardus (or Burchard, Burckhart) would perhaps only be a footnote in the history of the Catholic Church save for his contribution to the annals of history with a diary - the Liber Notarum - invaluable for anyone studying the papacy of Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia. Serving as master of ceremonies for five pontiffs, Burchardus’ meticulous knowledge of law and diplomatic protocol made him indispensable within the papal court. Lapses of etiquette causing him acute annoyance, Burchardus controlled all placements of visiting dignitaries, cardinals, and wayward offspring such as Cesare, Lucrezia and Juan Borgia.

The Borgias: The Art of War

2011-05-19T03:32:00.018+10:00

The eighth episode of The Borgias continues the story of French expedition into Italy, just stopping short of the entry into Rome. Comparing events with the historical record, we find what is depicted on screen more congruent with overall themes of 1494-5, rather than a recreation of specific events, with a fair amount of dramatic license thrown in to keep the characters busy. On an art historical note, a Fra Angelico is transported from Florence to make a very brief cameo, along with a glimpse of another more elusive piece. It was another episode with great action sequences, as French cannon are turned on the Papal forces.

The elusive truth of art historical inquiry - a Raphael case study

2011-05-16T02:04:00.043+10:00

The search for truth is in one way hard and in another way easy, for it is evident that no one can master it fully or miss it wholly. But each adds a little to our knowledge of nature, and from all the facts assembled there arises a certain grandeur.
Aristotle

Part of a standard training in the sciences is the ability to apply critical analysis to a set of observations. This forms the foundation of epidemiology and statistical reasoning. This allows medical researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment regime or medication. When dealing with hard facts, there is no requirement for subjective factors to come into play. Subjective data is of course relevant, but must be analysed in a different way, using measures that are sensitive to these aspects. eg. psychological response to living with a chronic illness, impact on functional capacity etc.

As an undergraduate, students trained in this manner are given journal articles and invited to pick them apart, find logical flaws, invalid assumptions and holes in data. By the time these students develop into scientists and health professionals(etc), they are armed with a methodology of critical analysis that is not assailable by independent bias. eg. showing the same set of data to anyone trained in this method should yield identical results.

What does this have to do with art history?

I think it is best to illustrate with an example. I have recently completed reading the late James H. Beck's From Duccio to Raphael - Connoisseurship in Crisis to further my interests in developing a more complete understanding of technical side of Raphael studies. This book was fascinating - as it sought to cover the topics of connoisseurship, and the methodology of making attributions employed by major galleries.

Interview with Bettany Hughes

2011-05-12T03:30:00.017+10:00

It is an honour to present this interview with Bettany Hughes, historian, author and broadcaster. Her work is not only compelling to watch, but also tackles issues historians have balked at or glossed over in the past, such as the role of women in classical societies, and their representation in art and literature across eras. Her radio series Amongst the Medici provided historiographical insights into biases affecting the prevailing romanticised view of this era - a factor often missing from Renaissance commentaries.

Bettany at Knossos Palace, Crete

Her latest book, The Hemlock Cup - Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life explores the far reaching influence of Socrates - whose unique mode of thought gave rise to a modern view of the world, and forms the basis of the scientific method which drives human endeavour to this day. I thought I would use this unique opportunity to ask Bettany about her new title and some of the broader issues addressed in her work.

The Borgias: Death on a Pale Horse

2011-05-11T06:12:00.008+10:00

The seventh episode of The Borgias was an action packed affair, depicting the forces of Charles VIII arriving in Italy, accompanied by Cardinal della Rovere. Whilst there were no new glimpses of artworks or artists in this episode, we again get to see the inverted Battle of San Romano in the background of Palazzo Medici, and get another taste of Savonarola spewing bile at the Florentines as news of the brutality of the French forces spread. As shall be outlined, the reality of the events of 1494 were somewhat different.

The Borgias: The French King

2011-05-05T04:33:00.007+10:00

The sixth episode in the first season of the Showtime series The Borgias introduces one of the key political players of the era, as well as gives insights into how future allegiances will be shaped. On its own it contains perhaps the least historical detail of episodes to date, though this does not detract from the overall enjoyment of the episode. The introduction of the fiery Sancia of Naples, and the nod to Echo and Narcissus were two very subtle, but intriguing art historical references.

The History Carnival - May 2011 Edition

2011-05-01T02:31:00.011+10:00

Festivities during carnival on the Admiralty Square in St. Petersburg 1869 by Konstantin Makovsky

3PP is delighted to host the 98th edition of the History Carnival. By exploring the events shaping the lives of people living in any given era, we develop a deeper understanding of factors influencing efforts in industry, politics, and creative endeavour. The entries selected in this month's carnival are outstanding examples of the high quality of writing on historical subjects online. Navigating the two worlds of art and history sites, I was somewhat surprised to see the differences in approach. For example, history writers are often more text oriented, and there seems to be less preoccupation with fastidious listing of footnotes which art history academics tend to include.

As we are at 3PP, each entry is accompanied by a relevant image to spark the imagination and trigger a memory. Many thanks to Sharon Howard for entrusting the carnival to my care this month. I hope the samples chosen below can serve as an inspiration to humanities bloggers from all disciplines, and illustrate the high standard of content that can be achieved with thorough research and an established community, which the world of history writing enjoys more than any of the humanities online. Readers of 3PP's usual selection of art historical topics will find a mini-entry embedded as Raphael's response to the post from Renaissance Mathematicus. Enjoy!

The Sacred Image in the Age of Art - Marcia B. Hall

2011-04-29T02:26:00.009+10:00

Every so often, a work is encountered which marks a special point in our journey through art historical knowledge. Previous titles having this effect were Edgar Wind's Pagan Mysteries in the Renaissance and Francis Haskell's History and Its Images. Since reading Marcia B. Hall's The Sacred Image in the Age of Art, my great belief that art history has the potential to unify ideas and modes of thought via the force of history has been given a resounding affirmation.

The Borgias: The Borgias in Love

2011-04-28T00:58:00.012+10:00

The fifth installment in the first season of the Showtime series The Borgias contained some interesting moments, some of them resonating in the historical record, others not. We take a trip back to Florence and get another glimpse of Savonarola, and travel north to Milan to visit the infamous Ludovico Sforza. The art historical references are short and sharp, and a little less obvious than in previous episodes, but are an interesting challenge for Renaissance art and history fans keenly following the show.

Quantifying the Google Art Project

2011-04-27T04:41:00.004+10:00

Since its introduction in February, the Google Art Project(GAP) has caused much discussion in public and academic circles. Its usefulness has been demonstrated by prominent art writers such as James Elkins at the Huffington Post, commenting on Bellini's St Francis in The Frick Collection. In his interview at 3PP, Noah Charney spoke of it as an important step towards the realisation of an art researcher's dream. I have used it several times in posts, even earlier this week when commenting on a Bruegel piece at Alberti's Window. It also supplied the central Botticelli image in my post on Marian iconography and the Virgo Lactans motif.

The Borgias: Lucrezia's Wedding

2011-04-20T17:54:00.030+10:00

The fourth episode in the Showtime series The Borgias is a treat for fans of Renaissance history. The art historical references are not verbalised, but are still fantastic to behold and contemplate. Further liberties are taken with the story, particularly the arc following Cardinal della Rovere, but it was still remarkably enjoyable to watch. The music in the wedding scene will also ring familiar to lovers of Renaissance and early music. This is also the episode where we are first given a glimpse of Renaissance Florence, presently under the spell of Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola.

Symbols in art, history and psychosocial inspiration

2011-04-15T05:02:00.012+10:00

In a recent post at Art History Today art historian David Packwood explored Renaissance influences on the great French symbolist Gustave Moreau. To any fan of the Renaissance looking at the stunning watercolor The Apparition, the thematic similarities between the piece and Cellini's Perseus are quite obvious. In the comments that followed this post, I was intrigued to learn that elements of art history academia are discouraging of looking for parallels in works between eras:

"I'm a bit cautious about source-hunting- though I still think it's legitimate- because I have been criticized for it before, when I was a doctoral student."

I found this to be a quite jarring statement. Before proceeding further though, it must be mentioned that even the Musée d'Orsay quite gladly nominates Cellini's Perseus as an inspirational motif in their online entry for this work.

The Borgias: The Moor

2011-04-13T07:10:00.010+10:00

Continuing the art and history focused review of the Showtime series The Borgias, this week's episode continues on from the events of the first double length episode which was set in 1492, the year of Rodrigo's accession to Pope. Students of Renaissance and Ottoman history will find this episode a bit disappointing from the perspective of historical accuracy, but there is still much that is interesting to make it worth watching, including a nice helping of art history references.

A bird, a bridge and Raphael's unsung restorer

2011-04-06T01:12:00.017+10:00

Restoration experts and conservators often go unnoticed in the art world. Not only are these individuals blessed with a dazzling repertoire of artistic talents, they are also highly skilled art historians and scientists. They must understand not only the stylistic nuances of an artist, but be able to recreate them in a seamless fashion.

April 6th is the second date touted as Raphael's birthday, and also the date of his death in 1520. To conclude a series of posts featuring Raphael, I would like to give special tribute to Patrizia Riitano, chief restorer from the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, who has rejuvenated Raphael's Madonna of the Goldfinch back to a dazzling state. Now back on display at the Uffizi, this work had previously been in a severe state of disrepair.

The Borgias: The Poisoned Chalice/The Assassin

2011-04-04T22:28:00.019+10:00

This is the first in a series of reviews of the new Showtime series The Borgias. After receiving numerous requests to discuss this series, I have been pondering how to approach it in a way that wouldn't make it a chore or read like a dry synopsis. Watching the first episode provided me with the solution - I will comment on the general history of events depicted, but also focus on the art historical elements in each episode - which is a fascinating layer to the show that can best be appreciated with a knowledge of Renaissance art and architecture.

The nineteenth century, Raphael and art revolution

2011-03-31T21:37:00.012+11:00

Raphael seems to occupy a curious place in scholarly circles and the public imagination. Like the immense popularity currently associated with Caravaggio and Leonardo, Raphael was once the perennial favourite among scholars and the art adoring public of the 19th century. This obsession was particularly prominent in England, with the Royal Academy of artists espousing history painting as the medium's highest form. Similar stances were also held by other European academies.

This eventually led to discontentment among emerging artists across Europe. In France, Raphael was cunningly aped by Manet in Le Déjeuner sur L'Herbe, this revolutionary work taking its composition directly from a Raphael designed Judgement of Paris engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi.

Raphael's sublime 'La Muta' and the mano pantea

2011-03-27T15:46:00.011+11:00

To celebrate Raphael's upcoming birthday - March 28th (or April 6th in some sources)- I would like to present this lesser known but equally fascinating work by the young master from Urbino.

Portrait of a young woman, sometimes known as La Muta is one of only two of Raphael's paintings on display in his native Urbino. It is a relatively recent attribution to Raphael and was gifted to the town of Urbino by the Uffizi after spending much time in storage in the great Florentine Museum.

The painting is believed to have been created during Raphael's time in Florence, where he absorbed many new lessons in composition and technique from Leonardo. The title La Muta (the silent one) is not believed to be a description of the woman herself, but a reference to her identity being unknown.

Unlike the hot tempered Michelangelo, Raphael used the exposure to Leonardo's works to great effect - with very visible influences of Leonardo's lessons appearing in Raphael's work. A lot has been written about the fierce rivalry between Michelangelo and Leonardo, and the 'Lost Battles' they were commissioned to create for the Palazzo Vecchio. Despite Michelangelo's later boasts that he taught Raphael everything he knew about painting, one can only imagine how Michelangelo's own style may have benefited from Leonardo's tutelage had he not been so hot headed!

I find the formative stages of Raphael infinitely more interesting. Leonardo's influence can be seen in Raphael's treatment of portraits - his inheritance of the soft treatment of skin and subtle variations in of posing body parts, particularly the hands and torso.

Raphael's ability to learn, emulate and surpass his teachers is something that is a fabulous template to anyone striving to better themselves. A mixture of some natural ability plus a great deal of work to hone one's skills is a great life lesson - as well as a testimony to a research based approach.

The identity of the sitter in La Muta is presently not known, though it is likely she was a Florentine noblewoman. The depictions of her hands are particularly noteworthy. I would like to draw attention to them as this is an excellent example of Raphael enhancing his own style based on lessons learnt from Leonardo.

The famous Mona Lisa is reported to have been commenced 1503-4. It is widely accepted that Raphael had occasion to see this work in progress during this time, evidenced by an extant sketch he made. Leonardo is particularly famous for his depiction of hands - however it seems it did not take the young Raphael too long to absorb Leonardo's lesson and add his own enhancements.

Wonderfully visible in La Muta is Raphael's treatment of the woman's hands. Partly inspired by the crossed pose of the Mona Lisa, but with an addition of a straightened index finger, allowing Raphael to highlight the structure of the knuckles, adding an extra degree of realism that is not suggested in Leonardo's treatment.

As also seen in Portrait of a young man with an apple, there are important symbolic attributes for the hand positioning. In this instance, the stones of the rings worn by the woman indicate her wealth and status - however, the presence of rings on both index fingers are often regarded as denoting self confidence and spirituality.

This is related to the gesture known as mano pantea, which was a symbol of blessing since antiquity, but also adopted in Christian depictions during the Middle ages, where became known as pax vobiscum. It was widely used in many Renaissance works with a sacred theme, particularly depictions of Christ. In only depicting one outstretched finger, this gesture denotes the sitter's spirituality, without the authority to give blessing.

Raphael's self referencing 1506 Christ giving blessing depicts the mano pantea gesture

It is believed La Muta's gold necklace/crucifix was added later. As in the Mona Lisa, the overlapped hand position is also represents the sitter as a virtuous woman. It seems Raphael has chosen to accentuate this by carefully depicting the rings, index finger and the handkerchief - another well known symbol of piety since the Middle ages.

Mary with handkerchief - 13th Century Fresco from the Crypt of the Basilica of Aquileia

Next time you are looking at a Renaissance portrait, observe the positioning and adornments of the hands- they can reveal a lot about how the sitter wanted to be portrayed, and how the artist went about achieving it via a deliberate choice of items or symbols to suggest a particular meaning.

Not Renaissance: Marian symbolism & the constancy of Virgil

2011-03-23T23:37:00.018+11:00

"If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development."
-Aristotle

The 'rebirth' of Greco-Roman traditions is often the short form explanation of the Renaissance. This unfortunate shortcut does the study of the period a great disservice - glossing over centuries of important historical development.

With particular regard to sacred themes, and the depiction of the Virgin Mary, painters of the Southern and Northern Renaissance were the inheritors of a visual tradition spanning millennia. It is the intention on this post to provide a summary of an element of Marian iconography known as the Virgo Lactans, or Galaktrophousa in Greek - and trace its journey into the Renaissance. I will also relate a similar example mirrored in words more than images, the constancy of Roman poet Publius Vergilius Maro, best known to us as Virgil.

Art imitates life: Sherlock & The Mona Lisa

2011-03-21T20:57:00.006+11:00

The Mona Lisa is such a famous work that tracking its appearances in my own journey has not been too difficult. First was the gaudy telephone my mother received as a house warming gift. Aged five at the time, I was told the woman on the dial was 'the most famous painting in the world'.

As the name of this blog attests, myself and many other scientifically minded persons drew great inspiration from the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. These were brought to life in the fantastic dramatisations by Granada UK, featuring Jeremy Brett as Holmes.

Recent posts at ArtInfo by art crime specialist Noah Charney focused on the false report of a criminal mastermind behind the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa by Vincenzo Peruggia. It was reading these posts that jogged my memory about a fantastic treat for art and mystery fans that was embedded into the dramatisation of The Final Problem - the famous story where Holmes confronts his nemesis Professor Moriarty. The TV adaptation contained a segment that was not in the original story, but would delight anyone with an interest in art history and art crime. Inspired by the events of the real life heist, Holmes is employed by the French Government and The Louvre to recover the work.

Lavinia Fontana and the female self-portrait

2011-03-18T00:17:00.009+11:00

Lavinia Fontana and the female self-portrait

by Prof. Monica Bowen

As an art historian who is interested in female artists, I am particularly intrigued by the way that Lavinia Fontana chose to depict herself in self-portraits. Since Renaissance women weren't always in control of how they were portrayed in art (women were often depicted by male artists), I like to see how a female artist represented herself when she did have control over her image.

There are five self-portraits by Lavinia Fontana that are known: four paintings and one drawing. I would like to examine two of these self-portraits, including my own ideas with those that have been previously presented by Catherine King and Babette Bohn.¹ I think these two portraits are quite revealing in terms of what Fontana felt was important to communicate about herself.

Noah Charney on art crime and the future of art history

2011-03-13T06:40:00.024+11:00

3PP is delighted to welcome Noah Charney, art historian, author, and president of the Association for Research into Crimes against Art or ARCA. His 2010 non-fiction title, Stealing the Mystic Lamb: The True Story of The World's Most Coveted Masterpiece explores the tumultuous history of the Ghent Altarpiece, an art historical wonder created by brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck in the early 15th Century. Narrowly escaping destruction during the post-Reformation Iconoclasm that swept Europe - it became the prize of both Napoleon and Hitler in a staggering series of thefts. The Altarpiece now resides in its original home, the Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium.

The Classical Tradition [Harvard University Press]

2011-03-10T03:15:00.039+11:00

The Classical Tradition was published by Harvard University Press in October 2010. The volume was edited by Princeton's Anthony Grafton, current president of the American Historical Association, and a great advocate for collaborative research and the use of digital techniques and resources.

This volume aims to trace the influences and descriptors of antiquity on latter generations of writers and artisans, including to the modern day. In writing this review, I would also like to acknowledge the wonderful assistance received from art historian Natalia Agapiou, an authority on Greco-Roman Mythology in Renaissance art, historiography and iconography. I contacted Natalia to get an expert opinion on the mode and content of the book. Her responses are included in the section on scholarly accuracy and intent.

Art History Blog Carnival: March Edition

2011-03-06T05:02:00.013+11:00

Nicolas Regnier's cheeky Carnival Scene. Regnier was a contemporary of Caravaggio in Rome

It has been a delight to host the March edition of the Art History Blog Carnival. To mix things up a bit, I thought I also might provide a bit of an introduction for each blog, as this is a nice way to learn about the great range of blogs out there and the amazing people behind them.

Titian: Mirrors, Courtesans and the Queen of Cyprus

2011-03-01T02:40:00.013+11:00

There is currently an intriguing post by Monica Bowen at Alberti's Window discussing Titian's Venus with a Mirror. Monica's post approaches the painting from a feminist film theory and psychoanalytical perspective - based on the work of Mulvey and Lacan respectively.

As someone who came to explore Renaissance art via a study of history, it has always been a bit jarring to read accounts which seem to omit historical context in their analyses. Nonetheless, reading Monica's post was thought provoking, and even though I do not subscribe to Lacanian theory to help unravel Renaissance works, it still set me thinking more about Titian and resulted in this post!

Introducing the art and history site database

2011-02-23T04:15:00.022+11:00

"I found your site via an image search for Botticelli and just wanted to say I really like it! From your site I found links to other art and history blogs I didn't know existed. Finding these things should be easier. I wish there was a Google for art and history blogs!" -Feedback from R.(Student, UK).

Since the recent targeting of art history sites by toplists, a Google search for 'art history blog' will send you to the sites of these unscrupulous characters whose main aim is to entice traffic to their site, rather than serve the interests of anyone interested in art and history.

Toplists and award badges: art history bloggers beware

2011-02-19T13:00:00.036+11:00

Like the Grand Tourists pawing Titian's Venus, toplist creators are finding new ways to exploit art to serve their own interests

Before starting 3PP, I was heavily involved in contributing to specialist tech sites, which comprised of writing tutorials, giving tech support and reporting the latest developments. Spanning a decade, this exposure gave me a deeper understanding of how the web works, and how people will use others to draw traffic to their sites. Whilst this type of thing is rampant in the tech world, I thought I would be free from it when I started posting about artists and events from long ago!

However, as is the case with anything on the web, popularity attracts a degree of attention. Most of it is good attention, like having wonderful art historians and authors regularly commenting on my posts, but some of it is bad. I am writing this post to highlight how art history bloggers (among others) have become the latest target for online education referrers of inscrutable integrity to use our sites to advertise their services.

Teaching Women and the Arts

2011-02-17T22:55:00.020+11:00

Sofonisba Anguissola's The Chess Game(1555) is a family and self portrait

Teaching Women and the Arts

by Alexandra Korey

Hasan asked me to write about a female artist for his series, and proposed Artemisia Gentileschi since I have written an encyclopedia entry on her. But that was about five years ago, and as I prepared to sit down and write something, I pulled out my old article and materials and frankly it didn’t seem current enough.

What I proposed instead was a summary of a syllabus I prepared for a course on Women and the Arts in Early Modern Italy in 2009. Why? Because before we read about specific women artists, I figure a little context is in order. You could use this list as a path to learning on your own; or it might be useful to students doing term papers or to professors deciding how to assemble their own syllabus on women and art. I realized that I did not want to teach a course on women artists (I’m not really into biography), nor on the image of women IN art (my main interest, but too limited). I ended up developing three main themes that were explored in 2-3 seminar sessions each (the rest of the term was taken up by assignments, exams etc.). Here is the descriptive blurb from the syllabus:

Dante, Beatrice and the Pre-Raphaelites

2011-02-13T19:55:00.009+11:00

Immortalised in verse and paint, Dante's second and final meeting with Beatrice di Portinari

Valentine's Day seems to be an interesting time to reflect on romantic themes in art. There is a wonderful post at David Packwood's Art History Today on Two Star Crossed Lovers, and Monica at Alberti's Window looks at Valentine's Day kisses.

I must admit, I have not spent much time reflecting on the theme of Love depicted in art, but one enduring example comes from my days studying Renaissance Literature - which would be known to many fans of the Renaissance, and of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood who made much of the infatuation of Dante Alighieri for Beatrice di Portinari, daughter of a Florentine banker.

As outlined in the heavily autobiographical La Vita Nuova, Dante first met Beatrice when he was aged 9, and she 8. Dante was instantly enchanted by her, and was to remain so for the rest of his life. Dante again met Beatrice 9 years later in 1287, following her marriage into the wealthy Dei Bardi banking family.

The enchanted symbolism of Mia Araujo

2011-02-10T00:10:00.022+11:00

Replete with symbols and allegory: Mia Araujo's The Four Seasons

Mythology...its symbols touch and release the deepest centers of motivation, moving literate and illiterate alike, moving mobs, moving civilizations.
Joseph Campbell

It is a rare treat to be able to interview an artist whose work you adore! 3PP is delighted to introduce Los Angeles based artist Mia Araujo.

As someone most familiar with Renaissance and Baroque artists, exploring Contemporary art can be a daunting experience. This is particularly the case when forms represented are highly abstracted or minimalistic. The allure of the old masters is often the fact that their visual language is a more direct representation of a subject or theme, presented within a set of signature motifs particular to that artist. These motifs often draw on a tradition of myth and symbolism, encompassing historical and sacred sources.

Hence, regardless of era, it is always enthralling to encounter an artist who passionately executes works that are not only of astounding technical quality, but speak volumes about their historical influences and what shapes their creative passion.

Mia has often been interviewed by journalists and critics with an interest in Contemporary art and the gallery scene. I thought it would be interesting to talk to Mia about her work in an art historical sense, as well as explore some of the symbolism in her work. Mia is also one of the growing number of artists using a blog to share their creative process and promote their work. It was actually through Mia's Blog that I first encountered her amazing talent.

Mia working on The Priestess. Pic from her intriguing feature on Coates & Scarry

Google Art Project : how to confuse a critic?

2011-02-03T04:02:00.022+11:00

The world has been abuzz with talk of the Google Art Project. There has been some interesting discussion about its impact on the world of art history, with the overwhelming sentiment being a positive one. This is primarily because Google and their partner museums have created something which did not exist before, and enabled access for free to anyone with an internet connection and a supported browser.

It has been interesting to note the reaction to the project and its global impact. It appeared on mainstream media and online, even becoming a worldwide trending topic on Twitter.

Google Art Project : a bold step into the future of art history?

2011-02-02T01:34:00.022+11:00

Today was a special day in web history! Whilst I had heard snippets of information in recent months, I was truly suprised and delighted to learn that Google Art Project went live today.

What is Google Art Project? If you're familiar with Google Maps, Google Art Project is similar to it in some ways. Instead of navigating streets however, you navigate famous galleries and museums of the world. In many instances you get to go into deep zoom on some remarkable high resolution images, which from what I have seen so far are watermark free. I hope this encourages other high definition imaging services to follow suit - such as haltadefinizione.com.

Raphael's doppelganger resurfaces

2011-01-29T01:53:00.032+11:00

Scholarly consensus on Raphael's self-portrait is not uniform

The moment I was most transfixed when visiting Florence last year was when I stood in front of Raphael's iconic self-portrait. I even tweeted about it from the Uffizi:

Raphael's lovely self portrait is in a delightfully unique looking frame.. love itWed Sep 29 15:05:37 via HTC Peepthree pipe problem
3pipenet

Those who have been following my adventures at 3PP, or who may have perused my interview will know that I am quite fond of Raphael. His amazing achievements at such a young age are due in part to an immense natural talent, but also to a tremendous work ethic and dedication to his craft.

A rare image of the portrait as framed in the Uffizi, courtesy of interzone.com

It is simply wonderful to look at Raphael's rapid development when comparing his earlier works to his later pieces. As he came in contact with Perugino, Leonardo and Michelangelo, the profound effect of these (and other) artists on his style is clear to see, and in each instance he takes the great lessons from these masters and adapts them to serve his own style. This is very much a scientific, research based approach to image making which I find supremely intriguing - partly because I am am scientifically trained, but moreso because it makes studying Raphael so exciting.

Raphael's sensual portrait of his lover, Margerita Luti contains this signature detail in the armlet

Hence, it is not unusual for Raphael fans to get excited when the apple of their artistic eye enters the news. Last year we had the case of the Modena Madonna, an elaborately framed portrait which led some to suggest it was drafted by the great master and perhaps finished by a student such as Giulio Romano.

Before we go further however, it must be mentioned that the famous Uffizi portrait is not accepted by all as a self-portrait. Some sources state it was a later adaptation of the self-portrait seen in School of Athens. The extent and quality of evidence these claims are based on have been difficult to discern.

Today's revelation reached me via Discovery News, with the report of a copy of Raphael's famous self-portrait re-surfacing from a bank vault. This work had been re-discovered many years ago, but the art historian behind the find, Gian Lorenzo Mellini passed away and the painting never got full exposure, until now.

Alessandro Vezzosi (director of the privately operated Museo Ideale Leonardo da Vinci) and Culture Ministry operative Claudio Strinati returned this painting to the limelight, using it to promote their new book, Raffaello Universale (nb. here is an impressive online preview of this book. It is in Italian of course.) It is interesting to note this book is a limited edition work which according to Il Giornale Dell'Arte costs €2650 (Euros), or about $3600 USD at current rates. Despite the interesting tidbit that the work contains an appendix of scientific discoveries made by the famed Maurizio Seracini, that cover price is a bit too rich for me, and says a lot about how accessible these authors want to make their work.

Like other stories coming out of the Italian art press, big claims are abundant, actual evidence is less clearly stated. Unlike the alleged hidden letters in Mona Lisa however, we at least have a picture to gawk at.

The 'new' self-portrait of Raphael

Am I the only one who finds the information reported on this new portrait unsettlingly incomplete? According to the article the portrait has been dated to 1505 - but what this date is based on is not revealed. A record of the painting can only be traced as far back as 1885. It makes sense that some 19th century art lover commissioned a copy for their home - but the argument that is 'another self-portrait' by Raphael can not be made without more conclusive evidence.

Other reported Raphael self-portraits from School of Athens and Double portrait with a friend

Panel dating, undersurface scans and pigment analysis are a better way for these authors to demonstrate the veracity of their claims - until they can prove it is physically from the late 15th/early 16th century, I am sticking with the graceful Uffizi piece as my idealised young Raphael.

The passion of Mary Cassatt

2011-01-26T22:04:00.009+11:00

"I doubt if you know the effort it is to paint! The concentration it requires, to compose your picture, the difficulty of posing the models, of choosing the color scheme, of expressing the sentiment and telling your story!" -Mary Cassatt

One of the most widely read posts at 3PP is Rembrandt and the evolution of artists as self, which explores artists' ability to promote themselves in their work, either through the subject matter depicted, or directly putting themselves into the image. In revisiting this piece, I noticed that I had made very limited mention of female artists, only including Frida Kahlo at the end. Later, when preparing an interview with Alexandra Korey I got to delve a little further into famous female painters. I soon realised there was much to be explored in famous female artists of the past and present - and committed to showcasing their stories and work at 3PP.

There are of course art historians who have dedicated their lives to exploring and promoting feminist art history. The most famous of these is perhaps Linda Nochlin, who penned the remarkable "Why have there been no famous women artists" for ARTNews in 1971. This is very much a niche area in art history, and not without a deal of controversy and politics. 3PP is not about politics, but promoting an interest into some wonderful artists. This series of posts are to redress the imbalance of female artists presented at this site, and online in general.

Some of the upcoming posts that will be featured in this series will be from art historians who have specialised in studying women artists. I am particularly looking forward to finding out more about Renaissance female artists, such as Lavinia Fontana and Sofonisba Anguissola. The objective in starting this series is simple - to help myself and others learn more about a group of artists who commonly do not get as much exposure.

A photo of a young Mary Cassatt, digitally scrubbed up by yours truly

To start this series, I have chosen Mary Cassatt(1844-1926), an American impressionist painter. Mary Cassatt reportedly disliked being labelled as a 'woman artist' due to the great prejudices heaped on women artists by the art establishment of her era. In her travels to Europe, she had great difficulty entering into maintream artists' circles.

Whilst her gender excluded her from studying at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris, she approached one of its professors, Jean-Léon Gérôme which resulted in her apprenticeship to the great painter of orientalist subjects. In the earlier part of her career Cassatt's exposure to the old masters and the history inspired style of Gérôme influenced her work. This is most clearly seen in the classically themed 'Bacchante(1872)', a depiction of a female follower of Bacchus. I like the notion that the cymbals held by this confident female figure announced Cassatt to the world with a melodious bang.

It should perhaps come as no surprise that Cassatt found greater acceptance with the radical movement of artists we know as the French Impressionists. Considered a fringe member of this group, many of Cassatt's works display impressionistic elements, some even being retouched by impressionist artists, as in the case of the background in 'Little Girl in a Blue Armchair(1878)', which Edgar Degas assisted with.

The most charming part of Cassatt's story was her profound dedication to her work. She famously stated that she was 'married to her painting', and despite prejudices against female painters still had the perseverance to realise her life's ambition of being an artist. This paved the way for the prominence of female artists in the 20th Century and to present day, where the work of artists such as Tracey Emin and Sophie Calle command a throng of attention worldwide.

To introduce you to this pioneering woman artist further, I invite you to watch this except from the remarkable art historian Tim Marlow, who presented a series of programs called Great Artists. It is interesting to note that Cassat is also the only female artist featured in this series. There is also a wonderful video posted by The Smithsonian at YouTube featuring Linda Nochlin's presentation of American Women Artists, with a considerable amount dedicated to Cassatt.

The sacred symbolism of Giovanni Bellini

2011-01-20T02:18:00.012+11:00

Giovanni Bellini: St. Francis in the Desert

Dr. Francis P. DeStefano

For over 50 years the Frick Museum in New York City has been my favorite museum. It is a small, easily navigated site quite unlike the Metropolitan only a few blocks away on 5th Avenue. Its magnificent collection of paintings, acquired for the most part during the late 19th and early 20th centuries by steel baron, Henry Clay Frick, spans the gamut of Western art from late Medieval to the Impressionists.

Henry Clay Frick

You cannot visit the Frick and fail to notice that patrons invariably stop in the great central living hall to stare and wonder at Giovanni Bellini’s famous, St. Francis in the Desert. On one occasion a museum employee confirmed my guess that this painting, despite the presence of works by the likes of Titian, Rembrandt, and Renoir, is the most popular in the whole collection.

Born in 1430 Giovanni Bellini is arguably the first great master of the Venetian Renaissance. The Venetian version of the Renaissance has long taken a back seat to the Florentine but in the last few decades it has come into its own and today most scholars would agree that Bellini and his younger successors, Giorgione, and Titian, can hold their own as painters with Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael.

Indeed, the Bellini family studio is now seen as one of the great sources of the Renaissance. Giovanni and his brother, Gentile, who at one point went to Constantinople to paint Sultan Mehmed II, inherited the studio from their father, Jacopo. Andrea Mantegna, a great painter in his own right, married one of the Bellini sisters and exerted a powerful influence on the studio. Scholars also suspect that both Giorgione and Titian were apprentices at the Bellini studio before they broke out on their own.

Gentile Bellini's famous portrait of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, conqueror of Istanbul. The National Gallery London states it is unknown whether this work is a damaged original, or a copy.

Although he painted the St. Francis around 1480, Bellini continued to paint well into the next century. Until his death he was sought after and courted by public, religious, and private patrons. He is best known as a painter of Madonnas and groups of figures ranged around the Madonna and Child often called “sacra conversazione.” Nevertheless, the St. Francis is a unique work in the history of Renaissance art.

What is going on in the painting? St. Francis stands in the foreground a little off center wearing his familiar robe. Behind him is a kind of wooden structure that seems to lead into a cave. The mid-ground is largely made up of a barren landscape whose primary occupant is a small horse or ass. Prominent in the upper left is an oddly shaped tree that appears to be leaning toward St. Francis. In the distant background we see a majestic towered city.

Some have identifed this city as an idealised version of the monastery at La Verna - others are less conviced

In one interpretation of the painting Francis is receiving the stigmata, the actual wounds of Christ on his own body. His hands are outstretched but it is hard to see if there are wounds. Moreover, traditional elements usually employed in depictions of the stigmata episode are absent. His companion, Brother Leo, is not shown and neither are Christ or an angel.

I prefer the interpretation of (former) Princeton Literature Professor John V. Fleming (who also has a great blog -HN) in From Bonaventure to Bellini, an Essay in Franciscan Exegesis, published by Princeton University press. . In this often overlooked but extraordinary 1982 monograph Fleming argued that Marcantonio Michiel’s original description of the painting, when he saw it in the home of Venetian patrician, Taddeo Contarini, “St. Francis in the Desert,” was indeed correct. Fleming saw the subject of the painting and every detail in it grounded in Franciscan spirituality.

St. Francis Monastery at La Verna in Tuscany - photo by satara

The landscape in the painting is not La Verna, the site of the stigmata episode, but the desert of the Old Testament or Hebrew scriptures. In particular, it is the Egyptian desert. The prominent animal in mid-ground is the Onager or wild ass of the desert while the heron standing before it is a bird of the Nile delta.

A sacred menagerie - shepherd, heron and donkey are common symbols in Christian art

Franciscans often associated their founder with Moses and Elias(Elijah) and their life in the desert. In the background beneath the city there is a shepherd tending his flock just as Moses did before his encounter with the Lord. Indeed, the leaning tree so prominent in the upper left is the famous burning bush in which the Lord appeared to Moses. It is a laurel which at the time was believed to be impervious to fire. We also notice that Francis has removed his sandals and stands barefoot in the same manner as Moses.

Sandals and walking cane have been discarded

The wooden structure behind Francis is a Sukkah, variously translated as tent, hut, booth, or tabernacle, a kind of portable structure used by the Israelites in their wanderings in the desert. (In Judaism, this is celebrated in the Festival of Sukkot -HN) The Sukkah also recalls the scene of the Transfiguration when Christ was revealed in His glory accompanied by Moses and Elias to the three apostles, Peter, James, and John. Dumbfounded, Peter offered to build three booths or Sukkoth for the Lord and his guests.

Close examination reveals St. Francis palms with stigmata and the rabbit symbolising Moses

If we look closely, we will see beneath the right hand of Francis a rabbit in a hole in the rock, and beneath his left hand a jug. The rabbit was a symbolic reference to Moses who hid his face from the Lord and the jug is a reference to Elias.

Indeed, the abundant vegetation sprouting around Francis is a garden or carmel, another reference to Elias who was supposed to have been the founder of the Carmelite order. Francis stands between Moses and Elias in the same way as Christ stood between them at the Transfiguration. In Franciscan spirituality and imagery, Francis was the new Christ.

The Transfiguration of Christ is a popular theme in sacred art - this version, commenced by Raphael is one its most famous depictions. It was unfinished at Raphael's death in 1520, and believed to be completed by his student Giulio Romano.

Perhaps the most curious symbol in the painting - a drainpipe - see comments below for explanation

Just as Moses came to lead his people out of the slavery of Egypt, so too did Francis come to lead his followers out of the slavery of sin. The city in the background then is a place of danger and peril, both physical and spiritual. The desert is symbolic of the life of poverty and humility preached by the famous founder of the Franciscan order.

Most of the paintings acquired by Henry Clay Frick had a special meaning for him. A committed Mason, Frick admired Francis because of his love of Nature. Others who have viewed the painting since Frick added it to his collection perhaps have had their own reasons for admiring it. Even if we know nothing of Franciscan spirituality, Bellini’s painting is still an image of a human being standing open and receptive to the divine light and transforming the world because of it.

Giovanni Bellini proudly inscribes his name in Latin

Dr. Francis P. DeStefano is a retired associate professor of history, who now dedicates his time to writing and lecturing independently on history and art history. His key area of interest is Venetian Renaissance art, particularly the works of Giorgione. His ongoing research into historical and sacred themes influencing artists in the Renaissance can be read at Giorgione et al, and its parent site Tempesta News.

Vermeer and the art of escapism

2011-01-14T04:42:00.022+11:00

Vermeer's only known classically themed work, Diana and her companions(1653-6), includes many symbolic Christian elements, such as the feet washing and handkerchief painted like a dove.

"Unless you try to understand the world in which an artist moved, felt, lived, how can you hope to understand the images that he created?"

-Andrew Graham-Dixon, 3pp Caravaggio Interview. 2010.

Thanks to a recent screening on BBC, I finally got around to seeing 'The Madness of Vermeer', a 2003 BBC production featuring a slightly younger, perhaps more playful Andrew Graham-Dixon.

What has always made me fond of AGD is his dedication to the history behind the images and the artist that created them. Vermeer was not in service to the most powerful men in Europe, yet his work is now universally revered due to its contemplative subject matter and technical virtuosity. Debate still rages over whether he used a camera obscura ('darkened room' in Italian) to help compose his works - my own feeling is - why not? Any artist should be able to use whatever tools they want to achieve their desired effect.

There is a school of thought that views artists as beings with preternatural talents who create their masterpieces by sheer force of will and talent. This is a romantic notion - as with any practical task, to get a polished end result requires hours of practise to develop expertise, a degree of planning plus intimate knowledge of the tools of one's craft. AGD touches on this topic and does show us a camera obscura in action, as well as examines under-surface scans of some of Vermeer's most famous works.

The lack of significant under drawing is always a red flag for use of a camera obscura in works of astounding realism and advanced lighting effects. Those who cannot accept this should perhaps have a better look at Leonardo, Raphael or even Rembrandt's under-drawings and muse as to how their skill may be deficient in some way!

A 16th Century depiction of a camera obscura device

A camera obscura type device was first hinted at by Aristotle as early as c.350BCE. The device as a tool for artists became widely known after 1558, with the publication of Giambattista della Porta's 'Natural Magic', which can be viewed online here. This work was the first to suggest use of this device as a tool to aid drawing.

What was perhaps more interesting was the journey into the archives of the day, to reveal details of Vermeer's torrid life. AGD wowed us last year with his fascinating look at Caravaggio through archival records, as part of his book Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane. This program features a similar approach to the great Dutch painter.

Through archivists - whom I must admit are a fascinating group of people that deserve far more praise than they get - we get amazing glimpses into Vermeer's turbulent life - and his death in a state of poverty. It was quite sad to hear that upon his death Vermeer had no sufficiently expensive item of clothing worth selling, as was required by law at the time as a form of public bequest. His wife was also eventually forced to sell the remaining paintings, including 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' to meet the financial demands of caring for her family.

After his death, this now iconic image was sold to support Vermeer's family

This poverty and desperation is unusually something you do not see in Vermeer's work. AGD hence argues that Vermeer uses his art as a form of escapism. Writers finding themselves in difficult circumstances create idealised worlds of fiction, artists like Vermeer it seems painted scenes of tranquility and pensive contemplation that records indicate his life would not have had much of.

When one travels around the world looking at Vermeer's works in well to-do-places like the Frick Collection and Mauritshuis at The Hague, how much of this anguish resonates through the work? I dare say none. People are fascinated by the Vermeer's technical skill, his depiction of light and perhaps muse on the thoughtful moments depicted, but connecting to Vermeer with a sense of empathy is much more difficult than someone whose struggle more clearly resonates in their work, such as Caravaggio,(late) Rembrandt, and more prominently in later artists such as Goya, Edvard Munch and Frida Kahlo.

What I found particularly intriguing was the archival account of Vermeer's housemaid defending his pregnant wife from a frenzied attack by her brother. Vermeer was not present at the time - and some state that this valiant maid was the woman idolised in the famous c.1658-1661 piece The Kitchen Maid, (aka The Milkmaid).

If this was a depiction of the brave maid in Vermeer's household, is the accepted date for this painting incorrect?

What was somewhat peculiar was the reaction of Rijksmuseum curator, Dutch art historian Taco Dibbits, to AGDs linking this painting to this incident. In quite condescending fashion, Mr. Dibbits cheekily insinuates that linking an artist's work to events in their life is slightly 'Nineteenth Century'. It is perhaps somewhat presumptuous of Mr. Dibbits to assume that Vermeer approached life with a Zen-like detachment!

This is blatantly not the case when we learn Vermeer was involved in some money related scandal at the time, acquiring funds on behalf of his wealthy mother in law and pocketing them for himself. My only comment is that any art historian that chooses to disregard the historical and psychosocial factors that influence the creative process does so at their own peril.

One somewhat important detail which perhaps pokes a hole in AGD's theory on 'The Kitchen Maid' are the dates attributed to the incident and the painting. He himself states that the incident involving the valiant maid occurred in 1663 - whereas this work is dated between 1658-61. Is AGD also suggesting the painting's accepted dating is wrong? He doesn't actually comment on this discrepancy in the program. Notes on the provenance of this painting do not shed any further light as to the actual date it was completed, though may be available in another resource.

Anyway, I invite you to watch a clip from this amazing program courtesy of the BBC and Mr. Graham-Dixon, listen to the archival records and make up your own mind.

Following some grumbles from the BBC for originally hosting the whole program(despite it not being available for purchase), I have since had it confirmed by AGD's office that an extended clip will eventually be added to AGDs Youtube Channel.

Also, make sure you visit essentialvermeer.com for an astounding web resource on this fascinating artist.

Madame Pickwick Art Blog: Unattributted Plagiarism

2011-01-10T23:10:00.017+11:00

My composite image, my words... but where is my name?

Edit: I have since been contacted by the author of the offending blog, whom despite thinking my response was "completely out of line" has since removed the two offending articles, as re-writing them with correct attribution must have again seemed too arduous a task. Hence the links to the Pickwick articles below will now display blank pages. I will leave this piece here in testament to the vigilance required by bloggers who strive to produce content in their own words, and do the right thing as far as giving credit and attribution.

I would like to draw attention to a recent discovery I made which was somewhat distressing. Plagiarism is a perennial concern for people who deliver web based content. As a result, many sites uses packages such as copyscape and attribute creative commons licenses to their work.

I love the idea of anyone reproducing parts aspect of my work, as long as they provide attribution and state "from H Niyazi, Three Pipe Problem" then the license is satisfied! All my articles are clearly labelled as being authored by me, and appear prominently on search engines, so it should not be a problem - they are not tucked away in obscure old journals etc.

Apparently, mentioning my name was too hard for Madame Pickwick Art Blog in a September 2010 piece on Simonetta Vespucci, which quotes entire blocks from my April 2010 article : Simonetta Vespucci: Real-life muse of the Renaissance?

The Pickwick Art Blog seems to be written by a Canadian by the name of "Dave", who runs an affiliated arts supply store in Quebec.

It is one thing to have your work stolen by a headless, auto-generated blog that exists to generate ad revenue, but when a dedicated arts site with a significant following does it - one needs to make note - which I am doing here. I find it strange because Pickwick seems to have no trouble quoting others, which I noted to Frank DeStefano when Pickwick recently did a series of posts on Giorgione and successfully attributed Frank's work.

Strangely, in another post on The Pastoral Concert, Pickwick quotes my work, but incorrectly attributes it to Frank! Immediately below my work is again quoted, and my own composite image used, but NO attribution! WHY?

Pickwick has no qualms quoting others... just me it seems. Maybe my name doesn't sound authoritative enough!

In the same piece, he does provide a link to my article(with the words ethereal haze) , but incorrectly attributes my words about emblem books(a pet topic of mine) to Frank!

Does Pickwick have no respect for other bloggers - is that it? Does he not view them as a credible resource - but still enjoys the content enough to steal entire passages without mentioning the original author?

I have tried to contact Dave, and merely wish him to insert my name into his numerous block quotes of my pieces(per article) If this is satisfied, I will update this post accordingly.

In the interim, I suggest people be vigilant, and look into something like copyscape for their sites. I actually found this example of plagiarism because of Pickwick's linking to my Simonetta composite images, but a (free) search on copyscape using the Simonetta article web address(URL) also successfully identified the Pickwick piece. Those wanting automated alerts are required to pay a small premium using the affiliated copysentry service. I presently haven't signed up, because I am very diligent at checking links to my site, but it may be worth the fee for those who do not monitor their stats as closely as I do.

Now I know what friend of 3PP UK art historian David Packwood felt like when his blog was plagiarised by pirates last year! Ahoy!

Giorgione, Carpaccio and the Siege of Padua

2011-01-09T06:05:00.011+11:00

"Historia vero testis temporum, lux veritatis, vita memoriae, magistra vitae, nuntia vetustatis..."

"History indeed is the evidence of the times, the light of truth, the life of memory, the teacher of life, messenger of antiquity.." - Marcus Tullius Cicero (De Oratore)

Part 1: Giorgione's Paduan Tempest?

In the recent post Giorgione, herons, and a Carpaccio Knight we explored the symbolism of the birds depicted in Giorgione's famous Tempest (c.1508) and Vittore Carpaccio's Portrait of a Knight (1510).

There are many symbolic markers in both paintings, but the birds in particular give vital clues to the meaning of these works in a historical context - something that is often ignored when contemplating these works. Some writers, including art historians seem more content with emotional responses and ambiguity than looking for historical factors as to why something was painted.

Even in a united Italy of the modern era, there are still significant regional divisions, extending into language, cultural practises and racial biases. These of course are not as pronounced as previous eras, where regions were pitted against each other in a shifting set of alliances based on a mixture of spiritual, commercial and political factors.

In contemplating themes in Venetian art in the early 1500s, we must keep in mind that at this period in time Venice was embroiled in a series of battles against the Papal States, including the forces of Maximilian I, The Holy Roman Emperor. This became known as the Wars of League of Cambrai(sometimes also described as The Holy League.)

Pope Julius II, best known as the man whom commissioned Michelangelo for the Sistine Ceiling and Raphael's work in the Vatican Loggia was very much a warlike Pope. In April 1509 he issued an interdict against the Republic of Venice, excommunicating every member of the city.

Left: a young Julius II(as Cardinal), later called 'The Warrior Pope' Right: Maximilian I, essentially Julius II's 'hatchet man'

We must be prudent in accepting the motivations for this were never entirely spiritual, nor based on Venice's historical links with Christian Orthodoxy and the Eastern Church. Like with many wars, it was also question of plunder and financial gain. Julius II envied Venice's fabulous wealth and dominance of the sea - which granted it dominion in matters of trade and commerce, as well as a superior ability to recruit mercenaries to defend itself.

Hence, the interdict, along with the formation of the League of Cambrai was a concerted effort by the Papal States and their allies to curb Venetian influence in the North of Italy and surrounding regions. For further information on this, a wonderful reference is A History of Venice (1989) by John Julius Norwich.

Like Cicero states - one must understand history to illuminate the past - including its art!

Giorgione's Tempest has long been touted to the public as a painting with no meaning or at the very least one whose meaning is deliberately ambiguous. Over recent decades, Giorgione researchers have worked hard to uncover historical aspects of the painting commonly omitted in textbook descriptions. Many will ponder the identity of the figures, the symbolism of the storm and the broken columns. Readings abound for this work with over 150 published volumes - ranging from classically inspired themes to more spiritual readings such as those described by Salvatore Settis and Frank DeStefano.

A robust explanation of Tempest and Carpaccio's Knight will attempt to fit these works into the historical Venice of the early 1500s. It is nice to think of art as timeless and ethereal, but it is quite difficult for any creative artist to fully dissociate themselves from their surroundings - particularly in an era where patronage drove the arts - not simply a personal journey as more modern artistic movements had the freedom to explore.

In Tempest, one of the historical elements being fleshed out is the identity of the city depicted in the background. Research by Enrico Guidoni and Antonio Boscardin among others has suggested the city in the background is Padua - which was a historical and commercial ally of Venice.

To summarise this, please view the clip below. This video was presented on the website of the Giorgione a Padova(Giorgione in Padua) exhibition, which featured Tempest. This exhibition attempted to demonstrate the link between the painting and the town.

I would like to thank Italian art historian Sergio Momesso and translator Andrew Curran for heir help in facilitating the English subtitles for this video. I did originally contact the people running the exhibition for English language resources, but they were unhelpful. Thanks to Sergio and Andrew we now have a version of this short but interesting resource in English!

As the video demonstrates, there is a compelling argument that the town depicted in Tempest is a section of Padua itself. What the video did not do was extrapolate the historical meaning of why Padua was depicted. It is important to note that Padua had fallen under the dominion of the Venetian Republic since 1405.

Fascinatingly, there is an event that links Venice and Padua, against the forces of the Holy League. This event is known as the Siege of Padua, which took place in September 1509.

Here is a summary of the events wonderfully explored in J.J Norwich's History of Venice:

June 1509: Padua captured by Imperial Roman Troops

July 1509: Padua regained by Venetian commander Andrea Gritti (who later became a Doge of Venice)

August 1509: Maximilian I's force of 35,000 set out from Trento, joining with French and Papal forces.

September 1509: Imperial/allied forces arrive in Padua, siege begins September 15th. The walls of the heavily bombarded Codalunga sector are besieged, but invaders repelled by mines - killing at least at 300 Imperial/allied troops.

September 30th 1509 - Maximilian I lifts the siege, due to the casualties suffered, and a lack of funds to continue funding mercenaries. The defeat was a humiliating blow for both Maximilian I and Pope Julius II.

Part 2: The Carpaccio Connection? A Tale of Two Rooftop Birds

"..the portrait, assuming it is one, constitutes an element of minor importance from an art historical point of view. In other words, the identification of the person depicted has little bearing on our capacity to interpret the theme and decipher the allegorical message." -Simona Cohen

Simona Cohen is a professor of art history at the University of Tel Aviv, and author of the fascinating Animals as disguised symbols in Renaissance art. As accomplished as her work is, her flippant comments on the value of the historical record in understanding the full meaning of a work are quite jarring.

An iconographical analysis does not hinge around naming the Knight, but at the same time disregarding the historical events of the time severely short-change the power of any analysis. The best analogy I can give in a modern sense is trying to understand the Vietnam war by music and art of the era alone - it will tell you a great deal - but the concepts make more sense when understood in terms of the historical events which inspired them.

Despite these comments, Cohen does go onto look at a parade of theories, made by art historians - some of which seem to miss the mark entirely, trying desperately to identify the Knight and looking for heraldic and botanical markers as well as documents pertaining to Orders of Knights. Some looking at the painting even suggested that it represented Dubrovnik(in modern day Croatia).

It is here I would like to supply a less imaginative, but perhaps more plausible reading: this is a commemorative painting for Knights which fought in the Siege of Padua.

It is not even necessarily the likeness of a specific Knight. As outlined by a Spanish researcher Caballero Bonald - the youth depicted is hardly a specimen of a battle-weary mercenary. It is a slender, idealised youth, a symbol of innocence and Christian virtue.

No slender youngster here, Niccolò di Pitigliano was the Venetian Mercenary Captain during the September siege. Upon his death in January 1510 he was honoured by burial at Santi Giovanni e Paolo, the same church reserved for the Doges of Venice.

For more on the symbols in the Carpaccio work, watch this video from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid. For some explanations the Museum and others seem unable to provide.... read on!

English subtitles provided by the Museum have been enabled by default

There are symbolic markers in Carpaccio's Knight which suggest death. This does not mean that it is a memorial portrait. The mottoes included in the work such as "Death before dishonour" are common to military units even in the modern era. They do not necessarily suggest the depiction of a fallen soldier.

The most famous example of a Virtuous Knight beset by evil - Albrecht Dürer's Knight, Death and The Devil(1517) shares many iconographical similarities with Carpaccio's work. Although Dürer visited Venice at least twice, it is unlikely he saw Carpaccio's 1510 piece, though may have seen similar works. He did go on to paint Maximilian I (pictured above).

It should be mentioned that at the Siege of Padua, over 300 soldiers fighting for the Papal States were killed by mines - which is not suggested in any way in the painting.

As we have no primary documentation regarding the original patron or owner(s) of this work - we can not definitively state the Knight's allegiance. We do know that, like many Venetian artists, Carpaccio did not travel extensively, particularly during the period before 1510. Hence, the likelihood that this work was for a non-Venetian patron is somewhat reduced.

It is interesting to note the location of the painting. Identifications of the location have varied - primarily revolving around the supposed identity of the Knight - ranging from Ancona to Dubrovnik. The answer is perhaps in Padua - as suggested by Giorgione's Tempest. Of particular note is the tall building with a sloped roof, with a bird perched on it - which seems to be eerily mirrored in Carpaccio's work.

In Tempest, the bird is solitary and 'above the storm' - meeting the symbolic attributes of the heron as a bird depicting piety. In Carpaccio's image, we have a bird feeding its young - which we know from (later) emblem books was used to signify "a favour ought to be returned" - this is perhaps the clearest marker for a Venetian patron - with Venetian forces liberating Padua from the Siege of Maximilian I's forces.

Pre and post siege: The rooftop birds in Tempest and the Carpaccio work explain the historical context of these works.

We know in 1507 Pope Julius II encouraged the newly elected Maxmillian I to attack the Venetian Republic. Completed by 1508, Giorgione's rooftop bird is vigilant - allies and territories protected by Venice - such as Padua - were under threat.

Detail from Tempest - The Lion of St. Mark is the perennial symbol of Venice

Hence, Tempest signifies a warning of the potential for trouble for Padua. The banner of the Lion of St. Mark proclaims that Venice will proudly stand by the territory it had overseen since 1403. As the Carpaccio work was completed in 1510, after the Paduan siege - the symbolism of "a favour ought to be returned" makes more sense. Venetians are signalling Paduan allegiance, in a commercial, military and spiritual sense.

What was significant about this battle to result in a commission for Carpaccio to paint it? The Siege of Padua was an important victory as far as Venetian morale was concerned, as otherwise the war against the Holy League was going pretty badly at that stage, particularly after the Battle of Agnadello in May 1509, immediately preceding the Siege at Padua. At Agnadello the Venetian forces lost much - including over 4000 casualties - hence the subsequent Venetian success at Padua was a glimmer of hope at an otherwise quite glum time in their history.

Whilst it would be delightful for an archivist to stumble across a vital primary document that establishes the patron of the Carpaccio work once and for all - in the absence of this we must fully explore all available information to shed the most light on a topic. Literary sources(poems, allegorical tales) and other symbols are important, but without historical context, have less power.

Here's to putting the history back into art history.

The Monk, The Banker & The Byzantine Emperor

2010-12-27T20:35:00.017+11:00

Away from the clamour of the Uffizi is one of Florence's true treasures, the Benozzo Gozzoli fresco in the chapel at the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi. Modern tourists entering this room are funnelled through a side entrance, which detracts from the original intended experience. This chapel was a collaboration between leading artisans and the most powerful man in Florence at the time, Cosimo de' Medici (1389-1464), often called Il Vecchio(The Elder) to distinguish him from Cosimo I de' Medici (1519-1574), the later Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Gozzoli's astounding Procession of The Magi flanks Lippi's Adoration. It is also an allegory of the Council of Florence in 1439.

The Gozzoli fresco depicts the Procession of the Magi. This work itself is as much about the history of the Byzantine Empire in the mid 1400s than it is a depiction of a religious scene. The fresco itself surrounds the walls of the chapel. The short video below is a wonderful description of the chapel as it can be seen today, and the momentous occasion it depicts.

British archaeologist John Romer explains the history behind Gozzoli's Procession in this clip from Byzantium: The Lost Empire

However, the focal point of this amazing space was a masterpiece executed by the most accomplished Florentine painter of the day, Fra Filippo Lippi's Adoration of the Christ Child, completed between 1459-60. This painting is sometimes referred to as The Madonna in the Forest. This painting is seen as an illustration of the debate between Orthodox and Western Churches which took place at the Council of Florence in 1439, in which Cosimo de' Medici took part, hosting the travelling Byzantine Emperor John VIII Palaiologos.

It was the jewel at the centre of the amazing private chapel - something that can not be fully appreciated with the rather lacklustre copy in its place today and the view tourists are forced to traverse the room in. Knowing the original was one of the most unique and accomplished works of the early Renaissance, and now resides many miles away in Berlin, tells a poignant tale about the ebb and flow of great fortunes and how art seems to be intrinsically linked to this.

The original location of Lippi's master work, now occupied by a less inspiring copy. Image: WGA

Of the cadre of Medici that haunted and dominated Florence for centuries, Cosimo is one of the more sympathetic characters. His legacy in commerce, politics and patronage of the arts is profound. He began the famous Medici acquisition of ancient texts from around Europe and the Middle East, many of these being monastic copies of texts on philosophical and scientific principles. An earlier post at 3PP focused on his acquisition of the Divine Pymander of Hermes Trimegistus - which also includes a great BBC podcast.

Commenced in the 1520s, the Laurentian Library is decorated with references to the Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici, who ordered the library's construction to house the texts which Cosimo The Elder began collecting.

Accompanying, and indeed driving this was the tremendous wealth generated by the Medici Bank. In Cosimo therefore, you had a pre-eminent example of a man caught between hedonism and philanthropy, as diverse projects he commissioned highlights. From monasteries to the Donatello's sensuous bronze David, Cosimo seemed to walk a tightrope of pleasure and dread at what awaited him in the next life.

The church of Cosimo's day particularly frowned upon money lenders who made profit from charging interest - a practise known as usury. In Dante's Divine Comedy, a special place in Hell was reserved for usurers, which the devout Cosimo was all too aware of. This fear of eternal damnation seemed to be a great source of motivation for many of Cosimo's patronage projects to religious institutions.

Lippi's Adoration of the Christ Child was recently explored in a phenomenal Christmas special aired on BBC as part of the Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece series. (excerpt below)

Of particular interest in Lippi's work is the theme itself - not a Biblical nativity, but actually a reference to the adoration described by St. Bridget of Sweden. A foreboding wilderness was not typical to a nativity scene, and was hence a unique innovation by Lippi in this painting. It was to prove influential to later artists, particularly Leonardo's famous Virgin of The Rocks, with echoes as far as Giorgione's Tempest in 1508.

Leonardo's Virgin of the Rocks wild landscape was influenced by Lippi's Adoration

Lippi's visual and iconographical style seemed to resonate most strongly in his most famous apprentice, Sandro Botticelli. What I found most interesting - something not fully explored in the documentary - is that Lippi had a perpetual muse in the form of a beautiful young nun he had eloped with - Lucrezia Buti.

Lippi's Seven Saints depicts himself in the guise of St. Peter of Verona, a 13th Century Domincian friar attacked in the head with a cleaver. The self portrait is a cheeky allusion to the headaches a vow of chastity and servitude were causing the passionate Lippi.

This also seemed to be the case on a closer examination of Botticelli's work. Many identify this persistent face as that of famed Florentine beauty, Simonetta Vespucci - though there are some historians whom dislike the idea entirely. For more on the fascinating Simonetta, read this earlier article from 3PP: Simonetta Vespucci - the real-life muse of the Renaissance?

Historians agree - novice nun, lover and mother to his children, Lucrezia Buti was Lippi's perpetual muse.

Lippi's student, Botticelli also had a perpetual muse - was it Simonetta Vespucci?

The latter part of the documentary outlines the interesting saga of the painting's travels as part of collection of a Nazi hoarded artworks. They were eventually taken to the United States as part of a controversial reparations scheme, but were returned to Germany a few years later. The painting now resides at the Gemaldegalerie in Berlin.

The program also features quite a lot of detail on the technical aspects of Lippi's execution of this work. The reconstructions done in the program were undertaken by the Hamilton Kerr Institute at Cambridge University, which you can read a fascinating article about here.

This will be the last article for 2010... but back in early 2011 with more articles, interviews, guest posts and videos.

Jan van Eyck : symbolism, virtuosity, and a Vasari myth

2010-12-22T20:09:00.028+11:00

Jan van Eyck's Annunciation (1434) is one of the most treasured pieces at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. Regardless of one's religious leanings - it is hard not to be transfixed by the mastery displayed in this work.

Van Eyck himself is a perennial man of mystery when one looks into the details of his life. There are reports of his involvement in Court espionage, as well as intimations of his interest in alchemical symbols and practises. While historians speculate on those points, the world remains enthralled by his amazing visual legacy.

The astounding detail of Gabriel's cloak was partly inspired by vestments worn by priests of the era

His most well known works in Europe are the famous Ghent Altarpiece, and the Arnolfini Portrait - the latter now being housed at the National Gallery London.

In the US, the Annunciation was a key part of the highly politicised bequest of Andrew W. Mellon, the politician, industrialist and art collector whom founded the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

The tale of the acquisition of van Eyck's masterpiece from the Hermitage Museum during Stalin's pre-war mechanisation of the Soviet Union is quite fascinating. The original collection accumulated by Mr. Mellon was kept in storage during the depression, as a negative public reaction was anticipated if knowledge of such extravagant spending became widely known.

Numerous Old Testament references establish the evolution of Christian teachings represented in The Annunciation. The tile pictured is an illustration depicting the tale of Samson.

The painting was transferred from wood panel to canvas during its stay in the Hermitage Museum, which accounts for its less than perfect appearance upon close inspection. Since arriving at the NGA, further analysis and restoration work has been performed, including re-application of the original glaze, which evaporated during the ironing stage of the canvas transfer process.

It is interesting to ponder how the Northern Renaissance influenced artistic developments occurring in Italy. Jan van Eyck is one of the short list of Flemish artists lauded by Vasari - primarily mentioned in the entry for Sicilian painter Antonello da Messina.

The interplay between the northern and southern styles seems to be an uneasy one. There appears to be a greater predilection for northern influence seen in artists in the north of Italy, particularly evident in Venetian artists such as Carpaccio, and to a lesser extent, Giorgione - with his reverence of nature.

Professor Susie Nash (Courtauld Institute London) sums up the Italian perception of Northern Renaissance quite nicely in her 2008 volume Northern Renaissance Art

Outside of Italy, and indeed to an extent outside Florence, it would seem people did not write about art in this self-conscious or explicit way...One of the consequences of this is that the fifteenth-century literary appreciations we do have of northern art are entirely by Italians, such as Cyricacus d'Ancona (1449), Bartolommeo Fazio (1456), Francesco Florio (1477), and Giovanni Santi (1482). Again, this is testimony to the fame of Netherlandish painters, but it also means that our contemporary view of their achievements is primarily an Italian one and this has had certain consequences.

As Professor Nash goes on to elaborate, the Florentine view of the northern style was overall positive, as evidenced by this account of a comment made by Michelangelo on the topic:

In Flanders they paint with a view to external exactness such things as may cheer you and of which you cannot speak ill. - Michelanagelo on Flemish painting, as reported by da Hollanda c.1540.

Vasari was also in praise of van Eyck, though did make the somewhat misleading statement that the van Eyck brothers were the progenitors of oil painting. This was turned on its head in 2008 when mid 7th Century CE oil paintings of Buddhist subjects were found in caves in Afghanistan.

The use of drying oils for the application of cosmetics had been known since antiquity and could have been used by artists then, though no definitive evidence of this has been found yet. In any event, the romanticised Vasari account of the van Eyck brothers as the inventors of the dazzling medium of oil paint needs to be treated with a deal of scepticism. Without being too harsh on poor Giorgio, perhaps we can at least say "as far as he knew it to be the case."

Like all of van Eyck's work, his Annunciation is brimming with symbols, each giving a fascinating insight into the message of van Eyck's piece, and his skill in depicting subjects with a virtuosity that astounds viewers to this day.

Infra-red reflectography reveals an astonishing level of detail in van Eyck's under-drawing

To learn more about the myriad symbols used, and the inspiration and techniques utilised to depict the stunning attire of the Angel Gabriel, watch this excerpt from the Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece. If you'd like to see more, it can be purchased on DVD from places like amazon - and also includes an exploration of Christmas themed works by Gauguin and Bruegel the Elder.

Finally, to all who have traversed 3PP over the last 12 months, I'd like to say a hearty thank you, with best wishes for the end of year festive season, and the new year beyond. About 50,000 visitors have passed through, which is something I never envisaged when I started tinkering away on this blog last year! I hope to keep 3PP relevant and interesting in 2011! Cheers!

The Lady & The Unicorn - an Enlightened Medieval tapestry

2010-12-20T23:19:00.007+11:00

Time for a bit more from UK comedian Ben Miller and Enlightenment. In this sketch, unlucky art historian Dennis Lincoln-Park introduces us to an exquisite Medieval tapestry. Fans of Medieval art will recognise the prop used as a reproduction of one of the six panels of The Lady and The Unicorn - one of the most iconic works of late Medieval France. This series of six tapestries is now on display at the Musée national du Moyen Âge in Paris.

These astounding works are believed to be a representation of the senses, with a sixth panel representing Desire. The piece featured in the clip refers to the sensation of Taste. Perhaps the most recognisable of the six panels is the one known as À mon seul désir(To my only desire).These works date to the 15th Century and feature the emblem of their patron Jean Le Viste, a prominent member of the Court of King Charles VII of France

The wondrous Desire panel is perhaps the most well known of the series

Those interested in Historical Fiction, and who enjoyed Girl with a Pearl Earring may be interested to know that author Tracy Chevalier has written a book exploring the story behind these amazing works. Chevalier's The Lady and The Unicorn(2003) comes in a variety of formats, including Kindle and audio editions - it's definitely on my reading list for 2011.

To see how Dennis Lincoln-Park fares with this exquisite French masterpiece, click below!

Young Michelangelo: The Path to The Sistine - John T. Spike

2010-12-18T17:58:00.020+11:00

If you are a fan of Michelangelo and Renaissance history, then I can most definitely recommend the great new book by John T. Spike, Young Michelangelo: The Path to The Sistine, published by Vendome Press. Despite having an analogous background to Michael Fried, Mr. Spike does not seem to be as self absorbed, and most importantly has the ability to both write and speak in a manner that is engaging and entertaining to all. Admittedly, most writers insert a great deal of themselves into their work, but Spike does this in a manner that presents interesting evidence and points of discussion along the way.

Mary Beard reveals daily life in Pompeii

2010-12-17T07:53:00.015+11:00

Mary Beard expertly reveals the aspects of Roman life depicted in fresco images at Pompeii

The BBC recently featured Cambridge Professor Mary Beard in a fascinating documentary about Pompeii. Mary's Blog A Don's Life, is highly popular, syndicated by the Times newspaper in the UK. If you have an interest in the classics and their impact on policy and education, Mary's blog is a great one to add to your list. Her new documentary is a captivating look at Pompeii - one which stands out from other programs on the same topic.

As someone quite interested in Roman Art, of which Pompeii contains a precious remnant, it was delightful to see Mary taking a closer look at some of the frescoes and explaining what they mean in the context of daily life. This was the overall theme of this program, and indeed of her book - Pompeii: Life of a Roman Town which was published earlier this year and is available in a variety of formats including Kindle and audio editions.

Mary's style is relatively casual and the language used enables this program to be enjoyed by all. This was particularly refreshing as the danger with putting academics in front of a camera quite often is an inability to connect with the general public. She does not have the screen presence of Bettany Hughes, nor the polish of Simon Schama or Andrew Graham-Dixon, however these other documentarians have had far more experience in front of a camera. I hope she choses to do more such programs, and not just limited to the content of her currently selling book.

Edit: This program is no longer available on iPlayer and not yet released on DVD. Here is an excerpt.

Art historical hijinks courtesy of Armstrong & Miller

2010-12-15T21:48:00.001+11:00

UK comedian Ben Miller presents Enlightenment, an art history segment like no other!

Art history often seems to be a solemn and serious topic - which does not make it into popular comedy as much as it used to. There seemed to be a bit more art history in comedy in the days of Blackadder and Monty Python, but it is something of a rarity these days.

One of my favourite comedy skits is the 'Enlightenment' series performed by UK actor and comedian Ben Miller which is presented on the BBC's Armstrong and Miller Show. In a recurring segment - he apes the documentary stylings of someone like Simon Schama, taking us on a verbose journey about a work, though things don't always run smoothly for Mr Lincoln-Park!

These lovely skits are short and(to me at least) very funny! Here is one looking at a Rembrandt work. For accuracy sticklers - the 'pen and ink drawing' featured seems to be based on Rembrandt's 1654 etching Christ at Emmaus although the character in the skit is describing at as 'Christ among the money changers.' Rembrandt did do an etching of Christ driving the money changers from the Temple(1635), but this does not look like the prop used.

Christ at Emmaus(1654) appears similar to the drawing shown in the skit

Still, the historical accuracy isn't really the point - but I just thought I'd mention it as I too was curious to know if there actually was such an item as was being described. For those in the UK, there are more Enlightenment clips available on Armstrong and Miller's YouTube channel. For the rest of us, I'll try host some more here at 3PP as I come across them.

For more art history related comedy, I'd also like to refer you to this post by art historian Catherine at Art History Ramblings, Artists on bicycles, which features a Month Python clip.

Botticelli and the dark psychology of the Mystic Nativity

2010-12-13T15:38:00.027+11:00

Botticelli's Mystic Nativity often adorns Christmas cards and calendars. Its glorious representation of the nativity accompanied by flights of angels seems to paint an idyllic image of a Renaissance devotional work. What the cards won't tell you is that this painting was made during a very dark time in the history of Florence, and indeed the history of Western art. Underlying the themes of glory and salvation depicted in the work are religious fervour and persecution, fuelled by fear - which was to bestow irreparable destruction upon the cultural legacy of Florence. As a result, the works we are left with now are actually a remnant, or incomplete record of what actually was produced in the time before the 1490s.

Botticelli uses dramatic last judgement imagery and the Revelations inscription to drive home his message

Mystic Nativity is often described as a 'double' painting - in that it actually combines themes of a traditional nativity scene with themes of a last judgement painting. Far below Botticelli's swirl of angels, demonic figures can be seen - not traditionally part of a nativity scene. By including these last judgement elements, Botticelli seeks to reinforce the contemplation of not only Christ's arrival, but also his eventual return as outlined in the Book of Revelation.

Mystic Nativity is more than a pleasant image of a baby in a manger

Botticelli is not satisfied with mere symbolic messages in this instance - instead he inscribes the top of 'Mystic Nativity' with the following disturbing words:

"This picture, at the end of the year 1500, in the troubles of Italy, I Alessandro painted. In the half time after the time, during the fulfilment of the eleventh chapter of St. John in the second woe of the apocalypse"

At this point, we must really pause to consider what the psychological state of Botticelli would have been. It most definitely does not seem to be words of man who painted the 'Birth of Venus' or playful 'Venus and Mars'. Whilst even these pagan themed works have a Christian devotional undercurrent, they are simply not as heavy handed in delivering this message.

From an intoxicated baby satyr clutching a hallucinogenic fruit to the apocalypse - a perfect illustration of Botticelli's change in psychological state afforded by Savonarola's scaremongering

The question needs to be asked - what had happened to Botticelli in 1490s? The answer is simple - the Dominican Monk, Girolamo Savonarola.

The delightful angels encircling towards the heavens in Mystic Nativity are wonderfully executed. Time had faded the inscriptions on many of the ribbons they carried - obscuring the direct link between this painting and Savonarola's teachings. An observant researcher by the name of Rab Hatfield(University of Syracuse in Florence) was looking at woodcut images of Savonarola's sermons in a book that had been left out in a library. In it, he noticed a stratified crown describing the 12 mystical properties of the Virgin Mary.

The Savonarola sermon illustration

Subsequent infra-red analysis of the angels' ribbons revealed the inscriptions - they corresponded exactly with the 12 mystical properties as delivered in Savonarola's sermon. Hence, 'Mystic Nativity' was not just a devotional work - it was also a statement of Botticelli's personal allegiance to Savonarola and his teachings.

We know that Botticelli spent the latter part of his career out of favour and in obscurity. It could be argued that he never fully recovered from the turmoil of the 1490s, where he had come from painter of satyrs and goddesses to someone in the throes of spiritual upheaval. As we have no direct correspondence from Botticelli at this time, we can only speculate on his true state of mind. What can be said with certainty however is the radiant, youthful energy of the artist seen staring confidently at the viewer in 'Adoration of The Magi' was no longer.

A pre-Savonarola Botticelli confidently faces the world in Adoration of The Magi(1475-6)

It is interesting to note that Savonarola came to prominence through political machinations rather than a life devoted to charity and good works alone. As so often happens in history, desperate times allow for radical individuals to hold sway - the Florence of the mid 1490s was exactly such a time.

A fuller picture of these events needs to consider 3 important aspects affecting the social dynamics of the Florentines at the time. The combination of these factors lent a prophetic slant to Savonarola's sermons, who had been warning of invasion and pestilence. These factors were:

1. The French Incursion in 1494
2. Widespread Syphilis (also attributed to France!)
3. The Impending 'End of Days' - from the Book of Revelation, the 'half time after the time' was believed to represent the year 1500. In the minds of many pious Florentines, the end of the world was just around the corner.

In a climate of fear such as this, it was not altogether surprising someone like Savonarola came to have such influence.

The primary goal of the French Army in 1494 was the occupation of Naples, but they also sought to gain from breaking the Medici dominance of commerce in Tuscany. In a true example of "my enemy's enemy is my friend" they shared a common goal with Savonarola - who had been advocating against the Medici from the pulpit. Following an unauthorised attempt at diplomacy by a young Piero de' Medici, which granted concessions to the French without the approval of the Florentine ruling body - the Medici were eventually forced from Florence in late 1494.

Dominican Friar Girolamo Savonarola

Even today, Florence itself seems to rest in an uneasy ambivalence about Savonarola's contribution to their history. Some of this perhaps due to an inherited guilt about the brutal mode of his execution. Savonarola is indeed a complex character. There is an element of his teaching that is an appeal for equality and temperance. But well meant words and the consequences which accompany them often take divergent paths. Under his regime, homosexuality became a capital offence, and there was widespread persecution of the wealthy.

In consideration of these events - there is one undeniable fact - Savonarola manipulated public fears to serve his beliefs. He rallied people to his cause and ignited a fervour which resulted in the destruction of artworks which ultimately detracted from the historical record.

One can only lament at what has been lost. We often muse that Giorgione's Sleeping Venus is the first full nude of the Renaissance - I have a sinking feeling that the word 'surviving' should be in there - with similar preceding Florentine works likely having been consumed in the Bonfire of The Vanities.

Savonarola met a brutal end, burnt at the stake in 1498

One shudders to think what the strict application of Savonarola's doctrine would have meant for Giorgione's works has this fervour consumed Venice. Fortunately it didn't. Whilst some were moved by Savonarola's words, or grieved by the manner of his death, they did not take to destruction of artworks to prove this point.

If anything, it bolstered the production of devotional artworks over the overtly pagan themed works. It is interesting to note that Raphael - whilst in Florence produced mostly devotional works - primarily due to his apprenticeship with Perugino at the time. Had the atmosphere of the 1490s been different, we can only surmise what classically themed works Raphael may have blessed us with earlier in his career.

For some more background on this, including some contributions by well known Renaissance scholars and authors, please view the except from Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece, which was originally aired in December 2009 on BBC Two. Although the rest of the Private Life series seems to be available for purchase, this particular episode does not seem to be listed at the BBC shop or Amazon etc.

This special Christmas episode focuses entirely on Botticelli's amazing work - tracing its turbulent history, all the way until its acquisition by the National Gallery London and its current cosy life as a Christmas icon. As we have seen, the true face of this painting is much darker. Enjoy the clip!

apologies for small audio glitch at 0:22secs - missing audio is "some impaled on their own weapons"

Interview with Juliette Harrisson

2010-12-11T03:26:00.018+11:00

Juliette visits the impressive remains of Roman Thysdrus, now part of El Djem in Tunisia

As part of the ongoing series of interviews with notable art and history bloggers, it was only fitting that the first history blogger to be introduced at 3PP was the author of my favourite history related blog. Juliette Harrisson is a classicist based in the UK. Her blog Pop Classics is an entertaining and informative exploration of classical themes in popular culture. Juliette's mixture of humour and popular subject matter makes her blog highly accessible to readers of all backgrounds.

"Straight into the gory stuff this week, with blood everywhere, swords swung high, tits waving around all over the place. (Seriously, producers, women wore clothes when they went to gladiatorial shows. And they sat in the top row only, where you wouldn’t be able to see them from the sand itself.)"

-From Juliette's review of Spartacus Blood and Sand: Revelations

Juliette is a shining example of a forward thinking academic - firmly embracing the web to promote not only a deeper understanding of classical learning, but presenting it in a mode and language that can entertain and inspire. I was simply delighted to be able to quiz her on some questions I have always wondered about - such as how a classicist views the Renaissance recycling of classical motifs, and the role of popular media to inspire a career in history.

Andrew Graham-Dixon on The Art of Germany [BBC]

2010-12-09T03:23:00.016+11:00

Dürer's Christ-like self portrait(1500) is often regarded as a turning point for humanistic expression in painting

The Art of Germany is a new 3-part series written and presented by Andrew Graham-Dixon for BBC Four. It is currently airing in the UK and is available for view and download via iPlayer. For those outside the UK that enjoy Andrew's work, part one can be viewed below.

The first episode of The Art of Germany focuses on the Middle Ages and The Renaissance, but does seep into the Baroque as well. I found AGD's description of the organic nature Gothic architecture very interesting. Indeed he relates a lot of German art as originating from a primordial source in tune with the German forest landscape, a description explored by writers from Tacitus to Goethe and beyond.

What really comes to the fore in this series is AGD's love of history. Whilst he does spend some time discussing artists' techniques - he always goes to great lengths to set the scene in a historical sense - something which I really enjoy about his work. Like many, my first exposure to German Renaissance Art was Dürer, whose prolific career is fascinatingly related.

This episode also explores rich examples that help develop a much clearer picture of the German Renaissance beyond Dürer - deeply influenced by Medieval and Netherlandish stylistic markers, as well as local folkloric iconography. Particularly intriguing was AGD's description of Dürer as the 'exception to the rule' - not typical of a German artist of his day - due to his Italian exposure and influence.

It was also nice to get a glimpse of the Crucifix of Gero(955-970) at the Cologne Cathedral - something which was recently covered by Monica Bowen in a superb post at Alberti's Window entitled Crucifix of Gero Conundrum.

In somewhat related news, it was interesting note that BBC recently announced plans to make iPlayer available internationally in 2011 - with either a subscription or ad supported service. I welcome it - as long as they allow remote embedding so we can link to clips!

The excerpt below focuses on Grunewald and Dürer: