As seen yesterday, even if you manage to find the vantage from which a painter sketched a real-life scene, history, changes in perspective, and the artist’s own agenda might mean you’ll never actually be able to see the world from that same perspective. Still, it’s sure fun to try. One of the more interesting examples of pairing art with ... Read More »
In their ongoing noble quest to chart the strangest locations of McDonald’s franchises on this busy little planet of ours, Jaunted has reminded us of an old gem that had been completely buried under socks and sweaters in the closet of our minds—the existence of a Golden Arches near Rome’s beautiful, famous Spanish Steps. As you can see by ... Read More »
From the perch of an auction-house seat, you might think that the world economy was flourishing, that bankers and bus drivers alike were in the black and in the chips. Last night, a Alberto Giacometti bronze statute, “Walking Man 1” (above, left) netted $104.3 million at a Sotheby’s auction in London, handily breaking the pre-recession record of $104.1 million ... Read More »
Pablo Picasso was no slouch—in his 92 years, scholars estimate he created over 50,000 works (1,885 paintings, 4,100 sculptures and ceramics, and some 12,000 drawings.) As many of his pieces appear in museums, thousands more are in the hands of wealthy and not-so-wealthy collectors. Still, the sale of his “Tête de Femme (Jacqueline)” (detail, above), a 1963 portrait of ... Read More »
Yes, it’s been 400 years since the infamous Italian artist and party boy Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio left this world under shadowy circumstances. To toast the life and death of Rome’s rock star of chiaroscuro, the Scuderie del Quirinale is offering up a look back at his work and influence in an exhibition starting on the 20th of this month. ... Read More »
A fascinating little piece in the New York Times today looks at the once-contentious relationship between the Renaissance arts scenes of Florence and Rome through two current exhibitions just a few neighborhoods away from each other in Manhattan. While Rome is represented in one corner by the Morgan Museum & Library’s Rome After Raphael exhibition, which features a slew ... Read More »
Our forthcoming title, “Art + Travel Europe: Step into the Lives of Five Famous Painters”, tours you through the life of Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (“Goya” to you and me) in his beloved Madrid. But for those of you who want a full serving of Goyas that you haven’t seen at New York’s Metropolitan but aren’t cashing ... Read More »
In the summer of 1610, the 39-year-old painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was on the run, sleeping with his hand on his sword. He had risen from selling his art on the streets of Rome to the heights of national fame. Now, he was traveling through Tuscany, hoping the law didn’t pick up on his trail before he reached Rome, ... Read More »
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