Art & Culture

“Forensic Astronomer Solves Fine Arts Puzzles”

“Forensic Astronomer Solves Fine Arts Puzzles”

by Jennifer Drapkin and Sarah Zielinski via “Smithsonian Magazine“

“In painter Edvard Munch’s Girls on the Pier, three women lean against a railing facing a body of water in which houses are reflected. A peach-colored orb appears in the sky, but, curiously, casts no reflection in the water. Is it the Moon? The Sun? Is it imaginary? Does it matter?

To Donald Olson, an astrophysicist at Texas State University, the answer to the last question is an emphatic yes. Olson solves puzzles in literature, history and art using the tools of astronomy: charts, almanacs, painstaking calculations and computer programs that map ancient skies. He is perhaps the leading practitioner of what he calls “forensic astronomy.” But computers and math can take him only so far.

For Girls on the Pier, Olson and his research partner, Texas State physicist Russell Doescher, traveled to Asgardstrand, Norway, the resort town where Munch made the painting in the summer of 1901. By mapping the area and studying old postcards, the pair determined the exact location of the original pier (which had been torn down), the heights of the houses and the spot where Munch likely stood. They then retraced the paths of the Sun and the Moon across the sky at the time Munch was there.

They concluded that the setting Sun did not appear in that section of sky at that time, but the Moon did. As for the missing reflection, it was not an artistic choice, as some art historians had proposed, but a matter of optics: from the artist’s perspective, the row of houses blocked it. . . .”

“Art Exhibits for the Selfie Set”

“Art Exhibits for the Selfie Set”

by Richard Morgan via “Wall Street Journal“

“Carmelle Fernandez came down to Chelsea from the north Bronx with her cousin to stand in front of a pair of 18-feet-tall wooden characters. She asked a fellow visitor to Mary Boone Gallery to photograph them in similar poses as the sculptures—a shot destined for Instagram, Ms. Fernandez, a 30-year-old office assistant, said.

“It just makes you feel like you’re part of it,” she said. “It’s just fun. I think a lot of people take these photos. It’s hard not to.”

The exhibit, of sculptures and paintings by the artist KAWS, isn’t . . . .”

Out of curiosity, how long until the selfies themselves are considered works of art? I fully expect an exhibition to appear within the next 1-2 years focusing on the “best selfies” or “selfies that tell a story” theme.   It is a surprisingly important part of modern culture–the obsession with oneself and one’s own interaction with the world as opposed to merely appreciating the works and experiences of others. That being said, this is a great way to involve otherwise un-interested audiences in the arts.

“3,200-Year-Old Gold Artifact Transferred From L.I. Estate To German Museum”

Remember the post from back on Oct. 18? Well here is the result of that lawsuit. . . . 

“3,200-Year-Old Gold Artifact Transferred From L.I. Estate To German Museum”

Via “CBS New York”

“A 3,200-year-old Ishtar Temple gold artifact has been returned to a German museum that lost it during World War II.

The Assyrian gold tablet is a little more than an inch long.

As WCBS 880′s Sophia Hall reported Wednesday, some say it’s worth more than $10 million. Others say the artifact is priceless . . . ”

Related articles

 

Couple Donates $70 Million Collection to Philadelphia Museum of Art

“Couple Donates $70 Million Collection to Philadelphia Museum of Art”

by Victor Fiorillo via PhillyMag

“On Thursday, Art Museum CEO Timothy Rub announced that the museum has acquired one of the country’s most important collections of contemporary art from Keith and Katherine Sachs. Keith Sachs, a museum trustee since 1988, is the former CEO of Horsham-based Saxco International, a distributor of wine and liquor bottles.

The collection of 97 works spans the last 60 years and includes pieces by American masters Ellsworth Kelly and Jasper Johns, as well as dozens of other artists. The collection features paintings, both indoor and outdoor sculpture, large-format photography, and video art.

Here’s what Rub had to say:

The Sachs Collection reinforces and expands the scope of the Museum’s holdings of contemporary art and will enable us to present to our audiences a more comprehensive view of the art of the past half century.  . . . .”

 

“Brian Sewell’s Essential Art Books of 2013”

“Brian Sewell’s Essential Art Books of 2013”

by Brian Sewell via “London Evening Standard“

“Is your Raphael authentic? Who was Alan Sorrell? And which British painter-architect deserves to be up there with Palladio? The answers are in this year’s essential art books, chosen and reviewed by Brian Sewell . . . .”

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You can buy his recommended books in the United States here:

Any books you would recommend? Leave the title in the Comments.

My personal favorites revolved mostly around Asian Art, including:

The Chinese Art Book, by Colin Mackenzie, et al. 

Masterpieces of Chinese Painting 700-1900, by Hongxing Zhang.