Sunday, January 29, 2012

"Fake Death Picture"

"Fake Death Picture" by Yinka Shonibare (digital print) 2011 
from upcoming Exhibit: Addio del Passato (so closes my sad story)
Feb 16- March 24, 2012
533 w.26th St. NYC, James Cohan Gallery 
Interview with artist Yinka Shonibare - Whitehot Magazine

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Mystery of a Masterpiece

Last night, there was a fascinating NOVA show on PBS. Experts were investigating whether a portrait of a girl on vellum (shown above) is really a Leonardo Da Vinci. They think it was cut from an old book of the period (they found the book in a museum in Poland).
Link to article about the story in the Guardian.
Here's the link to the show which you can watch online if you missed it.
I blogged about this picture earlier and said I thought it looked to me like it might be authentic. That was just my gut feeling based on the style of the face and execution of the drawing.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Rockwell for Collier's Magazine 1919

Last night on PBS Antiques Roadshow (Eugene, OR !) someone brought in a really old Rockwell painting. They appraised it at half a million. It is a nice one called "The Little Model". This painting is one of only four that Rockwell painted for Collier's magazine (1919, cover). I rather like it and I am surprised how large he painted his illustration work (using oils). I'll get to see it since it is on display now at the museum in my town. I don't think I have ever seen a Rockwell in person.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Magical Gift of Picasso Etchings to British Museum

The British Museum recently acquired the complete suite of 100 Vollard etchings made between 1930 and 1937 by Picasso. It was a surprise gift from a man named Hamish Parker in memory of his beloved father Major Horace Parker. Depicting himself as a minotaur (in 15 of the works), the etchings are a visual diary of Picasso's great love affair with Marie-Therese Walter. Almost half of the prints show a classical sculptor's studio with Marie-Therese as a model. 
These etchings are magical and will always be inspiring. This is the Picasso that I love the most, unafraid to show emotional sensitivity toward his muse. Picasso exchanged the plates for these etchings with his dealer Ambroise Vollard for a couple of paintings by Renoir and Cezanne. This rare, complete set will go on view from May 3- Sept 3, 2012. Link
Right now, you can order the book Picasso's Vollard Suite from the Getty Museum.