tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740147662943742025.post124767666759449245..comments2023-12-06T11:18:27.198+01:00Comments on ThinkShop: Heroic Africans in ZurichP. M. Doolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16673509230835222713noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740147662943742025.post-1089205001400440172012-04-23T08:34:57.234+02:002012-04-23T08:34:57.234+02:00I had had no idea either until this exhibtion - a ...I had had no idea either until this exhibtion - a real eye opener.P. M. Doolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16673509230835222713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740147662943742025.post-39631875573810191232012-04-23T08:34:06.777+02:002012-04-23T08:34:06.777+02:00Thanks for the clarification Columnist.Thanks for the clarification Columnist.P. M. Doolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16673509230835222713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740147662943742025.post-33650427805427468992012-04-23T08:29:35.553+02:002012-04-23T08:29:35.553+02:00I had no idea of the skill of African artists, par...I had no idea of the skill of African artists, particularly from Nigeria in the C12th-C15th.columnisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03764365428633038329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740147662943742025.post-10198491101183554082012-04-23T08:26:09.899+02:002012-04-23T08:26:09.899+02:00The picture to which you refer was actually painte...The picture to which you refer was actually painted for Philip II of Spain. But I'm sure if Italy wanted to come up with the GBP50m (or so) to buy it and it's "pair", they could have done so. But the Duke of Sutherland wanted to diversify his assets, and decided to sell.columnisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03764365428633038329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740147662943742025.post-62253639019449935812012-04-22T15:15:10.253+02:002012-04-22T15:15:10.253+02:00Thanks for the comment Juliet. The international a...Thanks for the comment Juliet. The international art market can be problematic, but I don't really object to international art purchases in principal. I think the world would be an insular place if we never exported art (or wine, or technology, etc). A further complication regarding Titian: He was a citizen of the Republic of Venice, (Italy didn't exist as a state) so even his works in Florence or Rome could be seen as now being abroad. Many of his patrons were foreigners. For instance his portrait of Charles V: Charles was born in what today is Belgium (though ruled by the Habsburgs at the time), he grew up speaking Dutch and French, became King of Spain, ruler of Austria and later became Holy Roman Emperor as well. He choose to die in Spain. I would guess that he had no concept of nationality. So, where would his art collection belong? I would suggest, his art works belong to anyone who has legally bought them.<br /><br />However, most African works in European museums were plundered. African art was often stolen and today it is impossible to trace the exact providence. That is a shame.P. M. Doolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16673509230835222713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740147662943742025.post-5257258613401715122012-04-21T12:48:54.914+02:002012-04-21T12:48:54.914+02:00I love African art and this exhibition looks wonde...I love African art and this exhibition looks wonderful! I discovered a whole world of art when I lived in Malawi and Zimbabwe, the Shona sculptures of Zimbabwe are a particularly wonderful part of contemporary art. <br /><br />It's not just African art that is taken from its homeland and displayed abroad (though obviously the cultural and colonial history that goes with it compounds the injustice). One of the large Edinburgh art galleries recently aquired a Titian at vast cost and i struggle to understand why it is so important for Scotland to have that work of art when by any rights it should belong in Italy?Crafty Green Poethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740147662943742025.post-81899538534686403662012-04-18T08:39:18.239+02:002012-04-18T08:39:18.239+02:00Thanks Hels. I'll check out Modigliani's s...Thanks Hels. I'll check out Modigliani's sculptures. I must admit, I only know his paintings.P. M. Doolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16673509230835222713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740147662943742025.post-39225880409165156752012-04-18T00:52:54.992+02:002012-04-18T00:52:54.992+02:00Great review.
I might have also thought that Afri...Great review.<br /><br />I might have also thought that African art looked alike and was primitive, except for discovering Modigliani's sculptures 20 years ago. Of course Modigliani was European, but the thinking person would go back to the African originals, to see what inspired the young artist. <br /><br />I discovered the Yoruba terracotta faces from Ife much later. Their naturalism, which as you say predates any contact with Europeans, takes the breath away. The Ife faces remind the viewer of death masks, so detailed are they.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.com