The Barber Institute of Fine Arts in the University of Birmingham has one of the finest of works by Domenico Beccafumi, delicious in its luscious colours and sensuous form.
If London art historians think Siennese artists, and Beccafumi in particular, are 'almost unknown to the public in England', they underestimate the Brummie eye for a reclining nymph.
The floozie in the jacuzzi was so contemptuously named with popular and educated discernment.
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Luscious, yes, but the boy's body kinda breaks the Venus spell...I like his St Lucy...eat your heart out Salvador Dali....
While you were being rained on L, this huge exhibition of Siennese art was announced in London with remarks like 'overshadowed by the Florentine masters..virtually unknown to the English public...' poncy, poncy poncy...
so I thought of Brum's 2 nymphs (the floozie has her moments too, though never saw Siena).
I like Beccafumi's colours.
Do painters eat their hearts out or if the master is far away in time, do they recast him in their own worlds, happy to hat tip?
I can see Picasso must have had painters eating their hearts out but they were all trying in the same 60 years;and Michelangelo must have made teeth grind, as his fellows looked at what they had meant to do with the marble glowing out at them.
I think Dali would have adored Beccafumi. And his colours are splendid! He did it his way.
Yeah, Picasso. Must have pissed a lot of people off. And Michelangelo. I think the Pieta has to be one of the saddest, most beautiful creations I have ever seen. I think I blubbed, aged 17. (And it may even have been a copy!)
I studied (?) History of Art, which put me off galleries for years and years.
I recently discovered the Frick Collection, which was sheer delight. Like an exquistite box of the best chocolate..
Just had a look at the virtual tour; if it rains on the tennis again tomorrow I shall open the the box of fricking chocolates instead.
I found myself studying history of art when the children were at school in Italy; it's a compulsory subject there from age 11. So I had to do it too, as 3 hours' homework a day is also compulsory or you have to go and explain yourself to the professore for lack of parental oversight.
Italians speak of 'a better impostazione culturale' quite openly when they send their children to the liceo classico at 14. Alternatively you can go for the Scientifico and 'place emphasis on mathematics in this modern world'.
Or go for Music (conservatorio), Liceo artistico (all fine arts, and crafts, chemistry, metallurgy, physics..all that casting and working in plastics, paints). And the schools are open to anyone who has their Media (14+) certificate.
Last week half a million 18 year olds wrote for 3 hours in the first Maturita exam on Dante and his relation to the thought of Thomas Aquinas in parts of Paradiso. They had Greek the next day but I couldn't read what that was about - it's published in all the papers and on the main news with interviews and university professors to passers-by in the street giving their answers and assessment of the sophistication of the questions.
Mr HG said he'd translated his greek unseen into latin for a laugh; that was some time ago, but learning German in the university courses here the grammatical analysis levels of the undergraduates that are taken for granted as a merely technical school skill like knowing tables and number bonds, are astonishing. How many native English speakers know even the placing and order of adverbs? And they all speak international English competently.
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