Another Day, Another Dollar (100 million of them)

I'm glad to know in the midst of an economic depression, there are still people out there willing to drop a tenth of a billion dollars on some Picasso painting. “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust," a painting from 1932, recently set yet another record–$106.5 million to be exact. Chump change you say!!?? The painting had been holed up for decades. Never even been reproduced in color in any publication. I'm surpised that's the case, but then again Picasso was pretty prolific, there are bound to be many of his pieces that manage to slip between the cracks.

The New York Times had a pretty drab outlook on the whole auction too. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/arts/06cotter.html?src=mv

Fairly funny read. They're kinda bored with the whole overly-inflated market.

lazy bones

I've been very bad about posting lately. Nothing will kill a blog quicker than not posting. But, I'm not exactly Clement Greenberg here, so there aren't people beating down the digital door eagerly waiting a new blog post...heheh. Now that I'm finished (for the time being) or atleast caught up on all my artistic endeavors maybe I can resume blahging...more to come!

Walk Like an Egyptian

CNN posted an interesting article about a recent scientific discovery regarding famous mummy King Tut. Scientists now think that King Tut, who ruled during the 18th Dynasty, from 1336 B.C. to 1327 B.C., died of malaria and complications from a leg fracture. He was only 17-19 years old. I guess it also didn't help matters that he was apparently inbred from generations of keeping it in the fam. He suffered from a grocery list of possible health complications...And he married his sister!!! EWWWW.

excerpt from AP article:

"When researchers scanned Tut's mummy, they found he not only had severe kyphoscoliosis, or curvature of the spine, but also suffered from a toe malformation known as oligodactyly. The condition made his left foot swell, and it would have caused excruciating pain when he walked."

... "In his tomb, we also found 100 walking sticks. Originally we thought they represented power. But they were ancient crutches that he obviously used. He could barely stand."

Above is a picture of what King Tut would've looked like based on a recreation sponsored by National Geographic. Considering King Tut was inbred he looks fairly normal considering he could've come out looking like the boy banjo player from Deliverance!

Arnolfini Wedding, Perspective Lines

Arnolfini Wedding is such an amazing painting. It still evokes curiosity and debate from scholars with regards of how it was painted and the symbolism portrayed. It's a shame however, that it suffers from some perspective flaws. Still, it adds to the character of the painting. Afterall, Jan van Eyck was one of the first people to start painting in oil. I made this visual to show some of the perspective lines since I couldn't find a good hi-res version on the internet. Enjoy!!

Jan van Eyck
Arnolfini Wedding (Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife)
Oil on oak panel of 3 vertical boards
32.4 in × 23.6 in
1434
National Gallery, London

Self-Portraits by Pablo Picasso

Here's a neat little montage I created of Self-Portraits by Picasso throughout the years. It's interesting to note his versatility as an artist of Realism and Abstraction!

Detail of globe, The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein The Younger

The Ambassadors
Hans Holbein The Younger
Oil and tempera on panel
National Gallery, London, U.K.
1533

Real Life Van Gogh

Is this what Van Gogh really would've looked like? If it is...then I'm a little freaked out!!! His face has been burned onto my brain! He looks a little too intense for my liking.

Anywho, I found this image on some random blog. They based the image on one of his most famous self-portraits...aptly tited Self-Portrait. Unfortunately, no photos exist of Van Gogh after his teens, so nobody really knows what he looked like as a man.

Kids these days...

As many of you know, I've been painting alot of toys lately. They are so fun and revitalizing. There's something about toys, unlike any other objects, that captivate people. The toy paintings evoke memories and emotions. I want to make people feel good about what I paint....So in my daily cruising around on the intranets I found this amazing William Merrit Chase toy painting on an art history blog website of some girls playing with a ring toss! I'd never seen the painting before.

It's really interesting to note what kept kids entertained in the 1800s...and then what it takes to keep a kid entertained in the 2000s!! To the later; quite a bit! Kids now have playstations, and ipods, and youtube, and amazing interactive, sound making, light emitting doodads. My little nephew has amassed probably the equivalent of half a toysrus store worth of toys. Even I had quite a bit of fun things to play with growing up. But think about all those poor souls who lived before the 20th century who had all but a circle with a stick to play with...

William Merritt Chase
Ring Toss
1896
Oil on canvas
40 3/8 x 35 1/8 in. (102.6 x 89.2 cm).
Collection of Marie and Hugh Halff

Explosion in a shingle factory!! Nude Descending a Staircase, No. II (hi-res)

Marcel Duchamp
Nude Descending a Staircase, No. II
oil on canvas
1912
57 7/8 x 35 1/2 in
Philadelphia Museum of Art