The Art History Blog

Three very different but equally interesting NY Times article you should probably read:

‘One Person’s Trash is Another Person’s Lost Masterpiece’ One very lucky woman finds a $1 million Mexican masterpiece… in the trash outside her apartment building. This is a great story—even greater because it’s true.

‘Seurat, Drawing His Way to the Grande Jatte’ Yet another reason to visit MoMA this fall.

‘Where Gods Yearn for Long-Lost Treasures’ Because everyone and their mother (or even grandmother, in my case!) is talking about the new Acropolis museum—and the NY Times’ reviewer absolutely loves it. Goodness, to see the Acropolis… maybe I’ll have to add Greece to the list of places I need to visit when abroad in Europe next semester.

Gustav Klimt, Adele Bloch-Bauer I, 1907, Neue Galerie New York (Image via NYTimes)

That’s it. I NEED to go to the Neue Galerie. Actually, I’m glad I waited, because they’ve just opened a new exhibit devoted entirely to one of my favorite artists, Gustav Klimt. Anyway, the NY Times has an interesting article on the controversial decision of Ronald Lauder, one of the museum’s founders, to withhold much of the provenance information about his private collection. Though many American collectors prefer not to release any information about the artwork in their collection, it’s considered good museum manners to do so– and with Mr. Lauder in such a prominent museum-related role, many are surprised as to why he won’t just release it, especially because many of the works were jostled around in Nazi-era Europe, which makes his refusal seem the slightest bit suspicious. Personally, I think his argument is a little weak (“It’s my private collection… Would it be O.K. for people to see what dresses you have in your closet?”), but nonetheless it’s high time I get down to the Neue and see some Klimt. Review to come!

NYTimes: ‘Lauder’s Openness is Sought on Artwork.’ 10.18.07.
‘Gustav Klimt: The Ronald S. Lauder and Serge Sabarsky Collections’ from 10.18.07-06.30.08 @ the Neue Galerie, Fifth Ave. & 86th St.

Here’s an interesting and concerning article from the New York Times today. Apparently, a judge has ruled that it’s A-OK for a museum to exhibit art that an artist has deemed unfinished (or unfinishable, as seems to be the case for this artist?). I’m sure there were some weird circumstances between the museum and the artist, in this case, that caused for the decision to be made, but still, it’s a little disturbing to me that a living artist has less control now over his/her own work. Personally, even as a museum employee, I think artists should be able to choose when their piece is ready to show… and it scares me a little that this ruling can now be used to dispute otherwise!

Damien Hirst, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, 1991

You’ve probably heard of Damien Hirst — a young, very controversial British artist who’s most well known for his 1991 sculpture The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living… a.k.a. that sculpture of a shark floating in a tank of formaldehyde. Now’s your chance to see this huge sculpture (complete with a freshly-preserved tiger shark for the occasion) at, of all places, the usually conservative Metropolitan Museum of Art beginning in late August. It’s not permanent, so get to the Met within three years. I’ll certainly be checking it out this fall, albeit on an empty stomach…

Press Release from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Wikipedia for more information on Damien Hirst

While doing some research this morning for my internship, I came across this interesting news tidbit — the Bargello Museum in Florence, Italy is currently restoring Donatello’s David for the first time, according to this article. Here’s the cool part: they’re doing it in front of visitors, while the museum’s open! All this thanks to laser technology that allows the bronze statue to stay in place while they restore it. Way cool.

I only wish they’d started sooner — I visited the Bargello when I was lucky enough to be in Florence in March, and wish I could have seen it being done! If you do happen to be in Florence anytime soon, definitely check out David and the Bargello. The Bargello is an absolutely fantastic little museum that, for some reason, is rarely busy, despite the incredible array of masterpieces that it holds. Inspired by this article, I’ll post some more about Donatello, his David, and the Bargello soon. Stay tuned!