Friday, August 12, 2011

Dr James Fox


If you do a programme on British Masters (Art) for Television and you take the nettle in your hand, you are bound to get stung. So here’s another one from me Dr James. Like all the great and good you stick your neck out.

On BBC 4 recently, Dr James actually said that the Art of Alma Tadema was bad Art. He inferred that what was to come in 1910 by others was good Art and everything before it was bad. A slight over simplification but that was the message.

It is my view that it can be badly painted or sculpted; subject matter be questioned; the message it sends is wrong; and for a host of reasons express an opinion that one dislikes it; but to say it is bad art must infer that you have the correct view on what art is. Oh dear….

The bad one he chose as illustration was this one by the way. I don’t like it but would never dare say it was bad, that would be arrogant Dr Fox.


(and anyway, wasn't Alma T Dutch?)

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Old Childrens book


An Alphabet of Magic
by Eleanor Farjeon
Illustrated by Margaret W Tarrant
published by The Medici Society.

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