Chicago and The North of England
So what is it about Art that connects Chicago and the North of England?
A couple of years ago a stone sculpture was stolen from a country house in the North of England and eventually turned up in an Art Dealers in Chicago.
Now we hear that The Art Institute of Chicago was sold a fake Gauguin sculpture from where..... the North of England! Story here
I wonder where that Henry Moore bronze which was also stolen from the North of England is?
But now an important question ; OK so it's a fake, but for ten or more years many people have admired if not loved it. Is it now less of a work because it is not a Gauguin? Do we now relegate it to the bin? (trash can). If the Art Institute has been reembersed who owns it and is it now worth more? After all Gauguin's sculpture is generally thought to be inferior to his painting. I do not condone forgery or law breaking but this makes a good story and some red faces.
A couple of years ago a stone sculpture was stolen from a country house in the North of England and eventually turned up in an Art Dealers in Chicago.
Now we hear that The Art Institute of Chicago was sold a fake Gauguin sculpture from where..... the North of England! Story here
I wonder where that Henry Moore bronze which was also stolen from the North of England is?
But now an important question ; OK so it's a fake, but for ten or more years many people have admired if not loved it. Is it now less of a work because it is not a Gauguin? Do we now relegate it to the bin? (trash can). If the Art Institute has been reembersed who owns it and is it now worth more? After all Gauguin's sculpture is generally thought to be inferior to his painting. I do not condone forgery or law breaking but this makes a good story and some red faces.
Labels: Art History, sculptor
posted by Robert at 8:08 am
3 Comments:
wow! YOu have been busy on here. I am going to have to cach up!
So our poor Gauguin fake makes news in the U.K. as well ?
I agree -- that if one liked the statue -- who cares if it's a fake?
But -- I hated that ugly, nasty thing --and I remember when it first appeared on a pedestal the midst of the post-impressionist gallery -- and I winced with pain - and must have said something like "oh my god - how wretched"
Of course -- I don't really care for Gauguin -- so I never guessed it was a fake -- the man himself is a fake as far as I'm concerned.
The fact is -- contemporary museum people like ugly -- and this phony statue gave them a chance to put some on display.
If I were emperor -- the piece would not be immediately removed from the gallery -- but would remain on display for a month -- next to the severed head of the curator who paid $125,000 for it.
Hmm, I'm glad Chris isn't emperor because he might get enraged with us over a little artistic disagreement! Mightn't he? Heads on display is barbaric, Chris! Next thing, pikes with heads! Then bodies around the palisades...
And Chris doesn't care for Gauguin. I wouldn't have guessed that one, though I usually manage a good guess.
Robert, I think we are far too concerned with provenance and labels and name and far too little concerned with beauty and accomplishment. And I do often agree that contemporary museum people like ugly--a certain kind of ugly, often branded.
Happy 6th day of Christmas!
Marly
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