Conrad’s wisdom confounds me again

I think you will find Conrad’s post on Art appreciation accurate and entertaining. Sturgeon’s law which John Cowan refers to in his comment is a good one except when applied to the Turner Prize where 90% seems a bit low!

http://vunex.blogspot.com/2008/12/schllen-der-leidenschaft.html

Buying paintings for the nation

Bullied by Ian Cox to jump off the fence, I suppose I must make at least some comment on The Titian issue. He is generally accepted as one of the great painters of his time.

1. How many of Titian’s works are there in public and private ownership in Great Britain and permanently on view to the public?
2. From the educational and tourist points of view is it important to buy them? (In other words are they a good cultural and commercial investment?)

Of course there are other points here to think about after you have cast your pound coin in the collecting box. (Euros, Dollars, etc welcome too I imagine).

1. Do you really like the painting? (Do you really think it is very good?)
2. Do you have any spare cash?
3. Do you know how much “Old Art” is sitting in store rooms and rarely seen?
4. Do you like “New Art”, not contemporary Art as in The Turner Prize, but stuff you can understand and really appreciate and enjoy?
5. Do you think we should fund more English Art for English Galleries, Welsh for Welsh, Scottish for Scottish, Irish for Irish?

One more from me is the problem of the second painting involved. It is much better work. The Art market is by most accounts beginning to feel the pinch too, so I think it may be a bad time for the estate to sell at auction, if he does we might get the second painting for a reasonably price. They are not fools; they have made buying the first conditional for buying the second!

Yes I have made a humble contribution but I will not loose any sleep if we do not reach the demanded price. There are plenty of other great works we could buy and perhaps even commission some decent sculpture which we can all understand and appreciate.

If you are wonering what I am talking about then see here!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7584902.stm

Chilly business for the time of year

I imagine it is getting cold in NYC so I have posted this for Museworthy, it sort of says it all!

Can anyone tell me the painter?

Horse and Rider, William III of England

On entering St James Square Garden I took a photo of the Tourist information plaque to remind me who had been the sculptor of William III
shown here. I was interested in the thickness of limbs which Swallows

and I discussed some months ago. Unfortunately I seem to have lost that photo so I can only guess that this work was a second copy of John Michael Rysbrack Bristol work, though the name Jacob is in the back of my memory. This version was not placed here until 1807.