Deaccessioned: Part One
Jean Louis Forain "Sentenced for Life", 1910This painting was acquired by the Winterbotham fund in 1921 (a fund that specialized in contemporary work)
It was sold at auction in 2005 for $31,000 -- which is probably substantially less than its purchase price 80 years earlier -- so I guess that Forain's star is setting.
But is it such a bad painting ? I suppose it's outside the narrative of modern art -- and best belongs in some attorney's collection. But I'm also wondering -- who does this kind of narrative any better ?
posted by chris miller at 6:16 AM
7 Comments:
I think it's a very fine painting. Probably wouldn't sit too comfortably in most art collections. More Dostoevsky than within the history of most post-Impressionist art.
To add, the artist that comes to mind as being in a similar vein is Honore Daumier.
Yes -- this is Daumier territory -- but this does feel different -- not quite so dark-humorous -- more just dark -- which is why, as you say, Dostoevsky fans are likely to enjoy it. (but who else ?)
It's been in Chicago my entire life -- but I don't remember ever seeing it until now that it's been sold -- and the auction house provided a much better jpg than the art museum ever would.
Very good point about art becoming invisible because it doesn't easily fit into any of the established narratives favored by the AIC (and most other Euro-American art museums). Art from around the middle of the 19th century needs to be fairly easily placed in one of the modernist currents if it's going to have a chance to be displayed. I'm not a traditionalist, but it bothers me that salon art of the late 19th century or representational art of the 20th both are displayed with real reluctance.
Funny you should say that, William.
Usually you suggest that my concerns with certain invisible genres is a paranoid fantasy.
The institutional remedy is to privelege visuality over theory - but since you once initiated a university program of "Art and Art Theory", I doubt you'll ever be ready to go in the opposite direction.
But at least you're "bothered".
Thanks for the response, Chris. I wonder if there are several Williams who've posted to your blog? I'm curious if one of them started a program on art and art theory (I haven't). Maybe he's posted comments that suggest you're paranoid, but I don't think it was me. I've posted just a couple of times, I think, and all comments were positive...and easy thing to do since I've always liked reading your blog.
Oops! My apologies, William.
I had you confused with William, my sparring partner over at Aesthetics-L
And I guess I've gotten paranoid about being called paranoid.
Post a Comment
<< Home