If you don't think the Goya a work of art that is absolutely fine with me. There would be millions upon millions who would agree with you. And it not something you are likely to be persuaded into.
The paintings you give links to seem very tame to me. But that is just my opinion. DA On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 2:17 AM, Chris Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > As already noted, nothing can be explained about why this painting should be > called a work of art. > > (Or -- at least nothing can be explained by you.) > > All you can do is indicate the strength of your feeling -- with words like > "powerful" or "seized" > > But the word beautiful can be the beginning of a long description of > compositional elements - like color, tone, line, balance, scale etc.-- > and if prompted, I'm sure the painting teachers on this listserv could explain > at length this painting's achievements. > > (If it's too much of a stretch to call this image beautiful -- then say that > it has "compositional beauty") > > Regarding the genre of depressing, depraved, vile figurative images made after > 1900 -- the most famous would probably be the German Expressionists -- but I > was thinking more about our own, homegrown variety that I call "Chicago Ugly" > -- and here's some from the generations born 1880-1940 : > > > http://www.artnet.com/artwork/424541316/111920/leon-golub-danse-macabre.html > > Leon Golub > > http://www.printdealers.com/artist_template.cfm?id=1733 > > Carl Hoeckner > > http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/efts/smart/display.image.pl?accession=198 > 5.4 > > Jim Nutt > > http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/1878/1600/a-fredb1.jpg > > Fred Berger > > > And actually -concerning compositional beauty -- I'm not sure how I'd compare > them with the Goya -- at least, until I've seen more than just reproductions. > > But every year, in our local art shows, I do see my fair share of images > depicting "a world that has lost its soul, a terrible, terrible world..." -- > and I consider them worthless -- even worth less than the failed attempts to > create imagined worlds that are sacred, joyful, and healthy. > > > ******************************** > > > Re: 'You're always thinking about Goya's black paintings, aren't you Derek?' > > Only becasue they - and other works done at this later stage - are > when Goya became Goya. If he had died at around 45 he would be > remembered today only as a relatively minor Baroque painter. > > Re: '> Are they beautiful? >> >> Only if you compare them to the enormous genre of depressing, depraved, > vile >> figurative images made after 1900 -- especially the ones made after 1950.' > > I can't imagine the kind of image I posted being described as > beautiful as compared with anything. Enormously powerful yes. > Beautiful, no. Who are the painters you have in mind by the way? > > DA > _____________________________________________________________ > Click to reduce wrinkles & lines. Anti-aging that works, try now. > http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2211/fc/Ioyw6ijmX6v0jbTLq9uxICcfF0o3js > pOe1Pp2S3gTnfbSEtSjTGPnW/?count=1234567890 > > -- Derek Allan http://www.home.netspeed.com.au/derek.allan/default.htm
