Tag Archives: history

The Muse

A look into the human inspiration of famous artists is hardly revealing as their personal affections and desires are effortlessly translated into their art. There are no hidden feelings Picasso does not express for his multiple muses and lovers, no voluptuous bodies Matisse and Toulouse-Lautrec do not portray without a longing desire, and no lack of affection Renoir and Rembrandt do not display for their spouses in portraits.

Jacqueline en Mariée (Jacqueline, Married)

Jacqueline en Mariée (Jacqueline, Married) by Pablo Picasso

Artists portray and interpret what they feel in the heart, mind, and sexual arousal, so a new book titled Private View: An Intimate Dictionary of the Art World by Phillip Hook is certainly not telling, but it is incredibly insightful from the tidbits I have been researching. Offering a historical perspective, he explores the complex creative relationship between artists and their inspirational muses. Discussing a wide range of artists that span multiple art forms, time periods, and genres, the common denominator is the usage of the age old tradition of human muses for inspiration.

The power of the muse dates back to the foundation of civilization where the female form was idolized in figurines and drawings, and throughout history, poets, artists, and musicians alike have called upon them. Muses are not gender specific and there are no accepted norms. Their purpose is to create emotion for the artist, to inspire their best ideas to come to fruition. A Sotheby’s article titled, Masters and Muses states it perfectly, “Artistic creation, mental instability and sexual energy are closely related, which makes painters colorful lovers; it also means that their work is often influenced by their passionate relationships. The influence of the muse is manifold.”

This leads me to question, if the master sought inspiration and other comforts from their muses, what power did the muses hold in the relationship?  Without a specific muse to inspire at the right time would the same great works of art we hold dear today exist? Who knows the real power struggles that existed within the relationships or alternative histories that would be written, but without each other and the tumultuous or joyful joined experiences, some of the greatest works of art would not exist.

Sotheby’s At Auction. Jan/March. Master and Muses. Extractions from Private View: An Intimate Dictionary of the Art World by Phillip Hook.

Picasso, the forge & the kiln: the art of partnership

Picasso’s relationship with Egidio Costantini echoes his partnership with Suzanne and Georges Ramié, of the Madoura Pottery in Vallauris, France. The two men initially met in the small French town in 1954, though their working relationship would begin a few years later when Peggy Guggenheim invited the artist to Venice. These encounters in Vallauris were pivotal in Picasso’s mature career. At a time when he had established himself as the major artist of the 20th century with his astonishing range of painting and sculpture, Picasso entered new territory via relationships with these three master craftspeople.

Costantini's inscription seen on the back of a glass Picasso dove

The Ramié’s created large editions based on original prototypes made by Picasso himself. Suzanne’s sculptural ceramics were inspiring canvases for the artist, who discerned the form of a sleeping goat or dancing woman in the profile of a vase.  In contrast, Costantini translated the artist’s drawings into glass sculptures. Produced in very limited editions, these works rarely come on the market. Their luminous, reflective qualities give them a certain depth and changeability absent in the ceramic works, special in their own way.

Suzanne talking with Picasso in the Pottery

Costantini, master of La Fucina degli Angeli (the Forge of the Angels) on the island of Murano, outside of Venice, transformed the centuries-old tradition of Italian glass blowing into a modern art. Originally trained as a radiotelegraph operator, botanist and bank clerk, he only began working with glass in 1945. Just as the first practitioners of photography aimed to establish their medium on the same level as painting and sculpture, so the Italian sought to elevate glassblowing from craft to fine art. Costantini knew how to promote his practice, and secured partnerships with such artists as Alexander Calder and Jean Arp. A 1965 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, recognized the importance of these rare sculptures, which are housed in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, amongst other notable collections.

In June of this year, the auction of over 540 objects from the Madoura Pottery at Christie’s London exceeded pre-sale expectations by more than four times, bringing in a total of £8,082,300 ($12,584,141). This was the last opportunity for collectors to purchase ceramics directly from the studio, where many lots had remained, untouched, until this summer. A new world record was set for the highest price achieved at auction by a Picasso ceramic when Grande vase aux femmes voilées sold for £735,650 ($1,145,407), more than ten times its pre-sale estimate. The enormous success of this sale confirms the collectible value of the Spanish artist’s fantastical pitchers, vases and dishes.

With fewer original paintings, drawings and graphic works on the market, Picasso glass sculptures and ceramic works are having their day.

Picasso drawing with light in front of a few ceramics

The Magnificent Tapestry: A Neglected Art Form

Tapestries were once one of the most highly prized mediums, with Raphael being paid five times more for the tapestries he designed to adorn the walls of the Sistine Chapel than Michelangelo received for his contribution to the ceiling. Masterful artists wove silk, wool, gold, and silver threads glorifying military triumphs, tales, and worldly domains. They decorated the walls of castles and palaces, symbols of wealth and prestige, and reminded travelers of their past, present, and future. With the passage of time however, the admiration and fascination with tapestries have faltered. Today though, thanks to the help of technology in the form of a jacquard loom and the accessibility of traditional weavers, artists are once again embracing the medium and exploring the intricate balance between art and cloth.

Weaving utensils

Not since the early 20thCentury has the medium of tapestries been so embraced by artists. In the early 1930’s French weaving workshops, or ateliers, produced thousands of modern art images. Many of the century’s greatest artists—Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Joan Miró, Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder, Victor Vasarely and Marc Chagall—allowed French weavers to translate existing works of theirs or create cartoons that are highly valued in the art market today for the sheer intricate skill with which the tapestry was created. Collectors such as Marie Cuttoli influenced the medium as well by commissioning those similar artists to produce original designs conceived specifically for conversion into cloth by Aubusson weavers, and then having them sign the backs of the works, adding to their value.

“Jaune II” by Fernand Leger, Wool Tapestry

Often thought of as too costly and time consuming to embark on today, artists such as Chuck Close, Craigie Horsfield, Kiki Smith, William Kentridge, and Grayson Perry are experimenting with the medium and realizing the accessibility and affordability of the weavers and material. With the jacquard loom, a computerized weaving machine, the artist is able to churn out a tapestry in just days after experimenting with their design, color palette, and desired weave tightness. Meanwhile other artists are seeking out skilled weavers in foreign countries such as India, Afghanistan, and South Africa to create their masterpieces in a collaborative effort allowing for the process to be an artistic journey and art form all its own.

The circus comes to town: Craigie Horsfield’s colossal tapestries at M HKA (Antwerp)

Craigie Horsfield says, “The tapestry allows scale. It allows physicality. It’s not just to create a spectacular effect…It allows the sense of things being woven and how we imagine the world through the stories we tell each other…I like the idea that the tapestry takes on a meaning by the juxtaposition of individual threads, individual colors, which when read together become whole, rather in the same way that in our society we are individuals, but when we work together we take on new meaning.”  In understanding the motivations and history behind such an art form, tapestries deserve more than the fleeting, offhand mentions that they have received to date. From Raphael to Picasso to Close tapestries have captured the world’s attention as artist and weaver effortlessly come together in an organic display not available in any painting.

Information obtained from ArtNews article “Looms with a View” by Hilarie M. Sheets in the September 2012 edition.

New Ways of Protecting Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage is unique and irreplaceable, which places the responsibility of preservation on the current generation. Whether it is art or monuments, tangible heritage is always at risk and nowhere is this seen to be truer than in Iraq (technically Afghanistan as well but that’s for another blog). Many are aware of the recent history of Iraq, strife with civil discord, war, and a nuclear power conflict, making the issue of protecting their cultural heritage trivial in the big scheme of issues currently at hand. However, Iraq is known as the “cradle of civilization,” for a reason as it is a treasure trove of important archaeological sites including Babylon, Ur and Nimrud. These sites encompass an important part of Iraq’s cultural heritage and they are in danger of being irreparably harmed; thereby making the trivial issue of Iraq protecting their cultural heritage a rather significant one.

Damage done to an archeological site in Southern Iraq

Historically, Iraq has been home to continuous successive civilizations since the 6th millennium BC.. The area and people survived centuries of successive empires, multiple religious affiliations, and wars to become what John Stewart lovingly refers to as “Mess O’ Potamia” today. Although you can disagree with the current politics occurring in and surrounding the country, you cannot disagree with the importance of preserving and researching the area for the benefit of humankind and history.

That is why I was surprised to read an article titled “Iraq protects its artifacts via satellite” in which the Iraq government is in the process of employing satellites to stop the historical sites from being looted and to reduce their vulnerability to random exploration. There are around 12,000 known archaeological sites across the country which go back to the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Islamic civilizations. According to reports, around 170, 000 artifacts, including the Iraqi equivalent of Mona Lisa – the Sumerian girl’s head, have been lost from Iraq not to be seen again.

Iraq Cultural Heritage Site

Looters have descended upon many of these sites and are in the process of destroying them and extracting artifacts to sell to collectors and dealers. Past archaeological research is being destroyed in the process, as is the potential for future research. A series of international agreements has banned the trade in looted antiquities but these are inefficient with little to none legal holding. This why I wholeheartedly agree with the Iraq Tourism Authority’s plan to spend the next two years building walls around the archaeological sites and developing a specialized department that will control and monitor the areas using the satellite imaging.

All cultural heritage, whether it be sites, artifacts, or art, deserve to be preserved and accessible depending on their condition so future generations can enjoy and learn from them. That is why I enjoy working at the gallery because I feel like in some small way, by helping the art to find the right owner, the art can continue to be appreciated for generations to come and survive a little bit longer in this ever changing world.

Can a Work of Art be Made into a Film?: The Transformation of Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s famous work “The Way to Calvary”

Film is a medium that captivates, entertains, and informs so it makes sense that a work of art which also embodies those characteristics could be translated into the dynamic medium, right? Well such an attempt is made in the film “The Mill and the Cross”, by Polish director and artist Lech Majewski, which is based off the book of the same title by Michael Francis Gibson, whose theme explores the story of and behind the 1564 painting The Way to Calvaryby Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

The Way to Calvary by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

The Way to Calvary by Pieter Bruegel the Elder was painted in 1564 and imparts upon the viewer a scene from the Passion of Christ. At first glimpse, the enormous work appears to present a broad landscape populated by about 500 figures that are moving to and from the town, living out their daily roles and responsibilities. However, upon closer examination, several scenes are presented within the work that reflect a more political and philosophical agenda.

In the midst of the figures, at the heart of the work, are the condemned men, Christ and the two thieves. They are heading to the place of their execution surrounded by a troop of soldiers wearing red tunics and preceded by the two-headed eagle of the Habsburgs. The scene is ominous and the figures surrounding it seem to avoid the situation, whether from cluelessness or self preservation. However, through this representation of the story of Christ’s Passion, Bruegel alludes to the brutal political and religious repression that he was experiencing in the Low-Countries during the Reformation and the creation of this work.

This type of symbolism, which is characteristic of Bruegel, is also interpreted in the focal point of the work, the mill. Perched on a tall and improbable rock formation, the mill casts an all-seeing messianic gaze over the landscape. The lazy blades seem to turn the cogs of time, observing the whole complex scene below. Half of the skyline is sunny with white clouds, while the other half appears rather dark with ominous clouds, perhaps suggesting a further set of change is to occur that could be positive or negative.

Such inference is common with art, as viewers will interpret and perceive what they want. The meaning any individual takes away from a work is their own bias and that is why I was initially hesitant with the concept of this movie.  All of the political, philosophical, and historical meaning behind the detailed imagery Bruegel created certainly provides for excellent inspiration and narrative, but can a film script properly capture the visual aspects of the work? For this particular case, I found upon further investigation that the script can brilliantly interpret the artwork as it is done with the proper integrity.

Lech Majewski was so inspired by the compounding messages of Bruegel’s work that he transformed it into a creative feature film. Staring Rutger Hauer, Michael York, and Charlotte Rampling the film has received rave reviews the past year for its unique production and originality. It is an elaborately layered, computer-generated film that actually uses Bruegel’s painting as the background through the use of animation in multiple dimensions.

Film still from The Mill and the Cross, 2011 Directed by Lech Majewski – Credit: Kino Lorber, Inc.

The composite of Bruegel’s work, Majewski described, had a minimum of 40 layers and a maximum of 147, so every shot was layered to create dimensions. The actors actually moved against a rear-projected reproduction of the background to Bruegel’s work, which I feel maintained the integrity of the work and kept Bruegels’ masterful imagery as an essential part of the film instead of just the inspiration.

The use of the artwork itself as the background is what makes the movie unique and enjoyable. The amount of respect and understanding Majewski displays for the work by Bruegel is admirable and the context in which he interprets the work is something I have never been exposed to before. The film has such a creative and respectful integrity that I do firmly believe, if done right, a work of art on paper can successfully be translated into a film and I am excited to see what artistic creations come out of this newfound exploration.

The Context of Magritte

As one of the most popular artists of the 20th century, Rene Magritte has been influential to many artists that range from John Baldessari, Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Vija Celmins, Marcel Broodthaers, Jan Verdoodt, Martin Kippenberger and Storm Thorgerson. Some of these artists’ works integrate direct references to Magritte’s works, while others offer contemporary viewpoints on his abstract fixations. This is all due to his artistic brilliance with the use of context that is labeled under the title of surrealism.

Surrealism uses visual imagery from the subconscious mind to create art without the intention of logical comprehensibility. Many Surrealist artists and writers regard their work as an expression of the philosophical movement first and foremost, with the works being an artifact. During Magritte’s life however he had a rather turbulent relationship with the movement. While in Paris in the 1920’s, Magritte became acquainted with much of the Surrealist theory and their romanticized notions of scandal, crime and disguise. However, Magritte was disgusted by the superficial methods of the Parisian and Belgian Surrealists and strove to remove himself from the association, but the movement continued to impact his work.

Magritte would remove an object from its usual context so that its purpose could change. With paintings like La Durée Poignardée, 1939, Magritte wanted viewers to put aside utility and common sense while interpreting the objects found in the work. In his artwork, Magritte toyed with everyday objects, human habits and emotions, placing them in foreign contexts and questioning their familiar meanings. He suggested new interpretations of old things in his deceivingly simple paintings, making the commonplace profound and the rational irrational. He painted his canvasses in the same manner as he lived his life, in strange modesty and under constant analysis.

Magritte’s intended goal for his work was to challenge observers’ preconditioned perceptions of reality and force viewers to become hypersensitive to their surroundings. As one of the more popular artists we sell, Magritte is timeless in his juxtapositions that reflect everyday life and beliefs, a great addition to any collection.

 

Picasso’s Influences

Many modern artists and collectors are introduced to Picasso through multiple mediums. In school one takes an art class here, a history class there and discovers his art and life. Through film, advertisements, and print media his art is used as a canvas for expression. His work is intricately woven into our lives through so many different avenues and mediums that we don’t quite realize the influence he has.

Picasso’s most important influence however can be seen in the modern artists that aspire to emulate his work, challenge his techniques, and reinterpret his works with their own flair. With Picasso’s staggering output of more than 20,000 paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, and photographs there is plenty to choose from.

Picasso invented cubism with Georges Braque, invented the collage technique, and painted the 20th century’s most imposing masterpiece “Guernica”, so it is indeed hard to think of any modern artist who didn’t at some point in their career take cues from Picasso.

These artists range from Max Weber to Man Ray to Willem de Kooning to Jackson Pollock to Arshile Gorky to Lee Krasner to David Smith to Andy Warhol to Claes Oldenburg to Jasper Johns and Roy Lichtenstein.

Many more artists are inspired by Picasso’s art and will continue to be. As they strive to capture Picasso’s versatility and movement through art and life, they embrace Picasso’s creative lawlessness and redefine art in their own right. So when looking at a de Kooning in a gallery or museum, take an extra second to ponder about the influence of Picasso.

Sonia Delaunay: On the Rise

Sonia Delaunay was born in Ukraine in 1885 and was adopted by her affluent Jewish lawyer uncle Henri Terk in 1890. She had a privileged upbringing and traveled Europe widely to various museums and galleries. At the age of 18 she was sent to an art school in Germany and in 1905 decided to move to Paris.

Once in Paris, Sonia enrolled in the Académie de la Palette in Montparnasse. However she was not happy there and tended to spend more time in the galleries around Paris. Her own work during this time was influenced by artists such as Van Gogh, Matisse, Henri Rousseau and Gauguin. In 1908 she married German homosexual art gallery owner Wilhelm Uhde. It was during her time at Uhde’s gallery that she met and had an affair with Robert Delaunay.

Sonia and Wilheim Uhde divorced in 1910, and Sonia went on to marry Robert Delaunay and have a son named Charles. Sonia is quoted as saying about Robert, “In Robert Delaunay I found a poet. A poet who wrote not with words but with colors.”

The Delaunays are often credited with the creation of Orphic Cubism or Orphism. This is a form of Cubism that focused on pure abstraction and bright colors influenced by Fauvism and the dye chemist Eugène Chevreul.

Sonia, who made paintings, prints, books, textile and fashion designs, carpets, furniture, mosaics, and the odd movie set, is more often remembered as the wife of Robert Delaunay, but she is an established artist in her right, whose works today are gaining the respect of the art market.

Susan Brown, who co-curated “Color Moves: Art and Fashion by Sonia Delaunay,” on view through June 5 at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, in New York, notes that a critical reappraisal is in the offing. “It’s my impression that she’s going to fare better in the long haul. Particularly in the past 10 years or so, there’s been a lot of focus on her work.”This can be seen in the six auction records for Sonia that were set this past year, with prices outpacing estimates.

“The demand is escalating along with prices, and the number of collectors who seek her works is also rising,” says Thaddée Poliakoff, owner of Le Coin des Arts gallery, in Paris. Sonia’s high stands at €4.1 million ($3.9 million) from a 2002 auction of the 1915-16 canvas “Marché au Minho.”

Another opportunity for collectors are Sonia’s works on paper. Prices are relatively low for her prints and gouaches, which can be purchased from our Delaunay collection. It is “Pochoirs” that command the highest prices, due to rarity. According to Tudor Davies, head of prints for Christie’s Americas, “her etchings tend to be valued more highly than her lithographs, no doubt because they provide a better sense of surface.” He advises collectors to “look at the strength of the composition and the use of color and contrast. Simply put, you want the image to be as strong visually as possible when it is on the wall.”

Information was obtained from Artist Dossier: Sonia Delaunay – ARTINFO.com

Warhol, Warhol, Warhol

The talk of the art market these past weeks have all surrounded Andy Warhol, proving once again that you can never go wrong when investing in Warhol. Warhol’s works are still consistently selling at high prices, with over of 52 Warhol’s having gone and/or going up for auction for a total estimated value of $148 million.

“Sixteen Jackies” was sold for $20,242,500, while “Shadow-Red” (1978) sold for $4,842,500. Warhol’s “Statue of Liberty” (1986) sold for $3,442,500 this past week and was last sold in 2008 for $2,210,500. That is a 2.8% increase in value over 3 years for an average of .93% increase in value a year. With a steady increase such as that there looks to be no stopping the raising values of Warhol.

Joan Miró: A Creative Life

To most art lovers, a painting by Joan Miró is immediately recognizable. It displays botanical, geometric or abstract lines or shapes floating against celestial blue, sandy yellow or earth brown backgrounds. It also probably exudes a mystical yet reassuring dreamy quality. However interestingly enough, his personality was nothing like his work.

Miró was a highly disciplined hard working man. He spoke little and looked like the perfect bourgeois. He was orderly, reliable and punctilious. He was astonishingly versatile, willing to try almost anything. Nothing of him had any touch of a free spirited bohemian that he seemed to exhibit in his works.

In 1927, when Miró was 34 he was already a successful artist but he had a restless temperament and lived in provoking times. Surrealism, he discovered, had limitations. He was ready for a radical change in art, but he realized that he would have to create it himself. With his famous words, “I want to assassinate painting,” Miró did just that.  He took the elements out of art and stuck to the essentials. Whether he used a limited color palate or sparse geometric designs or different material he deified the essence of painting being on a canvas.

”I personally don’t know where we are heading,” Miró told a Spanish journalist in 1931. ”The only thing that’s clear to me is that I intend to destroy, destroy everything that exists in painting. I have utter contempt for painting. The only thing that interests me is the spirit itself, and I only use the customary artists’ tools — brushes, canvas and paint — in order to get the best effects. I’m only interested in anonymous art, the kind that springs from the collective unconscious.”

By the end of his long life, Miró had executed paintings and sculptures that prefigured Abstract Expressionism, Pop art, Color Field painting, process art, appropriation, and even conceptualism. Ultimately he succeeded in his goal of “assassinating painting”, and left us with a canvas of brilliant colors combined with simplified forms that allow us to embrace our inner child.