Well, it's official: Vermeer and Leonardo da Vinci are really good artists. But the four best artists in the world are Gustave Caillebotte, Vincent van Gogh, John Singer Sargent, and Pieter Bruegel.
But in what order? We'll need two or three more matches to figure that out, as the IAT trundles on towards its exciting conclusion!
1848 - 1894
French
Impressionists such as... Gustave Caillebotte enthusiastically painted the renovated city, employing their new style to depict its wide boulevards, public gardens, and grand buildings.... Caillebotte’s 1877 Paris Street, Rainy Day exemplifies how these artists abandoned sentimental depictions and explicit narratives, adopting instead a detached, objective view that merely suggests what is going on. - The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
- Defeated mobile pioneer Alexander Calder in Round 1.
- Held out against Edward Burra in Round 2.
- Fought to a draw with Caravaggio in Round 3.
- Crushed Corot in the Round 3 tiebreaker.
- Blasted Mary Cassatt in a Round 4 15-0 blowout.
- Beat Frederick Church easily in Round 5.
- Lost to Edgar Degas in Round 6.
- Upset Hieronymus Bosch in the Left Bracket Sixth Round.
- Upset Albrecht Dürer in Sixth Round Elimination by a single vote. YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!!
- Nudged Remedios Varo out in the Left Bracket Seventh Round by a single vote. YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!!
- Beat Degas in a stunning Grudge Match reversal in Seventh Round Elimination.
- Beat Leonardo da Vinci in the Left Bracket Eight Round.
1853 - 1890
Dutch; worked in France
Over the course of his decade-long career (1880–90), he produced nearly 900 paintings and more than 1,100 works on paper. Ironically, in 1890, he modestly assessed his artistic legacy as of “very secondary” importance.... By the outbreak of World War I, with the discovery of his genius by the Fauves and German Expressionists, Vincent van Gogh had already come to be regarded as a vanguard figure in the history of modern art.
- The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
- Beat up on Hugo van der Goes in Round 1.
- Got past Natalia Gontcharova in Round 2.
- Gave El Greco a real drubbing in Round 3.
- Lambasted Giotto in a Round 4 13-1 blowout.
- Beat Atkinson Grimshaw in Round 5.
- Beat Thomas Eakins in a spirited Round 6 match.
- Beat Remedios Varo by a wide margin, but with a lot of torn voters, in Round 7 match.
- Lost to Brughel in Round 8.
- Beat Vermeer easily in Left Bracket Round 8.
And we start with a vote for Caillebotte on FB!
ReplyDeleteVan Gogh for me, thanks, but I'd happily hang a minor work by either in my living room.
ReplyDeleteA part of me really wants to be a hipster and vote for Caillebotte, but the other guy's praised so highly for a reason. Van Gogh!
ReplyDeleteVan Gogh!
ReplyDeleteAn additional one apiece on Facebook!
ReplyDeleteI will always love Caillebotte, but I will always love Van Gogh.
ReplyDeleteRight. That doesn't really answer the question, does it?
Van Gogh, but this hurts about as much as any of the votes all tournament.
Caillebotte!
ReplyDeleteVan Gogh for me without too much trouble. Although I too would happily hang something by either in my living room.
ReplyDeleteI really really love that one painting of the floor strippers, but as a total, I vote for Van Gogh
ReplyDeleteBrutal decision. And I'm so happy Caillebotte has made the final 4. Wow! But my vote will go to van Gogh.
ReplyDeleteAnd Susan wraps it up with a postcard vote for Van Gogh!
ReplyDeleteCaillebotte wins Fourth Place in the Infinite Art Tournament!
ReplyDelete...and van Gogh proceeds to the next hurdle, taking on John! Singer! Sargent! in the Left Bracket Final!