Does Contemporary Art Make the Old Masters Look Cheap?

Sandro Botticelli - “Madonna and Child With Young Saint John the Baptist” (also known as "The Rockefeller Madonna") which sold for $10.4 millionCollective sales of works by Old Masters took in less than half of the $400 million contemporary art sale that Christie's held last November. It begs the question, “Does Contemporary Art Make the Old Masters Look Cheap?” READ the numbers and see what you think!

Noli Me Tangere

Antonio da Correggio - Noli Me Tangere - c. 1525 - Oil on panel transferred to canvas, 130 x 103 cm - Museo del Prado, MadridNoli me tangere is a Latin phrase which means "touch me not." According to the Gospel of John 20:17 of the New Testament, these words were spoken by Jesus to Mary Magdalene, when she met him, following his resurrection. Distressed because she didn’t know where the body of her Lord had been taken, Mary didn’t immediately recognize Jesus, until he spoke her name. When she tried to reach out to him, Jesus said, “Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to my Father.”

This subject matter has a long and continuous tradition in Christian art. Correggio (1489-1534) is often referred to as a Mannerist artist--although his work also embodies a unique synthesis of High Renaissance characteristics and approaches that would eventually become part of the Baroque tradition.

Although he wasn’t hugely successful during his lifetime--a fuller appreciation of Correggio’s work began to develop around 1600--and he has been acknowledged as a master ever since. Correggio has also been a significant resource to many Modern artists--including Pablo Picasso.

The Last Supper

Leonardo da Vinci - The Last Supper - 1498 - Mixed technique, 460 x 880 cm - Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan (click photo for larger image)Holy Thursday commemorates The Last Supper that Jesus Christ shared with His Apostles--and is a scene represented quite often in Christian art. The most famous interpretation is the 1498 masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci.

“Leonardo's painting of the Last Supper was constructed symmetrically according to the laws of central perspective, with a main figure, Jesus, in the centre. He is physically and psychologically isolated from the other figures and with his hands is pointing to the bread and wine, making the introduction of the Eucharist the central event. In Leonardo's conception, the other figures are reacting directly to Jesus, and at the same time, some of them are coming into contact with each other.”

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Leonardo’s masterwork marks the dividing line between the Early and High Renaissance--and is truly a work of genius. For those of you who are interested in learning a good deal more about this extraordinary painting, there’s a wonderful virtual history iOS app available, entitled “Ultima Cena - Virtual History”. It goes into the entire process of the creation of Leonardo’s Last Supper--from its inception and right through the attempts to restore it. It includes numerous drawings that enable us to see the master’s work process. I highly recommend the app.

Lorenzo Lotto - Painting the Eerie with Elegance

Lorenzo Lotto – Angel Annunciating 1527 – oil on wood, 70 X 55 cm., Church of Sts. Vincent and Alexander, Ponteranica. Mannerism was a movement that challenged the standards of the Renaissance while simultaneously preserving many of them. Here we see a lovely angel contained within a delicate aura of light. However her feathery, leathery wings are a bit eerie, to say the least!Italian artist Lorenzo Lotto (c. 1480-1556) was born and trained in Venice. Yet, his work was out of step with such contemporaries as Titian and Tintoretto--two of the great masters of the Venetian Renaissance. Lotto’s vision was much more subtle--sometimes even a bit eerie--and his work is very much in sync with the tastes of today. Now regarded by many as a Mannerist--Lotto was clearly an artist way ahead of his time. His art strikes deep chords in us--and it’s pleasing to know that scholarship is finally catching up with this important figure in the history of art.

Leonardo da Vinci Was Right All Along, New Medical Scans Show

Leonardo da Vinci - Vitruvian Man - 1492 - Pen, ink, watercolour and metalpoint on paper, 343 x 245 mm - Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice (click photo for larger image) Leonardo da Vinci - Anatomical studies of the shoulder - 1510-11 - Black chalk, pen and ink on paper, 289 x 199 mm - Royal Library, Windsor (click photo for larger image)

“He has long been praised as one of the finest artists of the Renaissance, working far ahead of his time and producing some of the world’s most recognisable works. But Leonardo da Vinci has finally received the credit he deserves for his 'startling' medical accuracy hundreds of years in advance of his peers, as scientists match his anatomical drawings with modern day MRI scans.”

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