Faceoff #1: Gaddi v. Gaudier-Brzeska
Taddeo Gaddi
c.1300 - 1366
Florentine
Lost to Thomas Gainsborough in Round 1 by a single vote. YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!!
-----
Henri Gaudier-Brzeska
1891-1915
French; worked in England
Clobbered by big-name Gauguin in Round 1.
Faceoff #2: Gentile da Fabriano v. Gertler
Gentile da Fabriano
c.1370 - 1427
Italian
Clobbered by Artemisia Gentileschi in Round 1.
-----
Mark Gertler
1891 - 1939
British
Clobbered by Théodore Géricault in Round 1.
Vote for the two artists of your choice! Votes generally go in the comments, but have been known to arrive by email, by postcard, or in a sealed envelope.
Please note that you may vote only once in each face-off. Opining that both of the artists in one of the two face-offs is superior to the other is fine, but casting your votes for two artists in the same face-off is not permissible.
14 comments:
Going Medieval on ya: Gaddi and da Fabriano
Not too enthusiastic about any of them this round, but I'll go Gaddi and Gertler.
I guess I'm in a more modern mood today: Gaudier-Brzeska and Gertler.
Gaudier-Brzeska and Gertler
Gaddi and Gertler
Voting modern-ish this time with Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and Gertler.
Interesting work from two of my very favorite eras, so I took time to think about it. I'm going with the old Italian guys in both these matchups.
You can really see Gaddi as Giotto's star pupil. I just love that the space within the goldsmith's shop is depicted convincingly but the countertop is not--you wonder, maybe it was just more important to show what was on it? Either he's waiting for Alberti's treatise on perspective to set the rules, or he's anticipating Picasso to break them. Or both. Anyway, for me Gaudier-Brzeska just can't quite measure up.
Gerstler is interesting, and the Tate's website has a nice write-up on the Merry-go-round with MOST OVERBLOWN ART CRITICISM EVER by D.H. Lawrence! A selection of his fervent praise, written to the artist: "I could sit down and howl beneath it like Kot's dog, in soul-lacerating despair. I realise how superficial your human relationships must be, what a violent maelstrom of destruction and horror your inner soul must be ... it would take a Jew to paint this picture." This doesn't tell me anything about the painting, but more than I want to know about D.H. Lawrence. I vote for Gentile da Fabriano, especially the narrative flow of the Adoration, which effortlessly pulls together people, animals, and little gold doodads.
Gaddi and da Fabriano (though none of them were that appealing to me).
Gaddi and Gentile da Fabriano.
Votes by mail: Gaddi and Gentile da Fabriano.
I'm going to say Gaudier-Brzeska in the first match -- Dr. Noisewater liked him in Round 1, which got me taking a closer look at him -- and Gentile da Fabriano in the second. I could sit down and howl beneath that alterpiece like Kot's dog, but in a good way.
First Result: Gaddi 7, Gaudier-Brzeska 4. The other match will still be open for a few weeks, if anyone wants to weigh in late.
I know that at least half may be too late, but here's my votes for Gaudier-Brzeska and da Fabriano.
In a thrilling match that went down to the last vote, Gentile da Fabriano overcame a deep early deficit to knock out Gertler, 7-5. And now both contests are over.
Post a Comment