Saturday, May 26, 2012

Infinite Art Tournament, Round 1: Campin v. Canaletto

Robert Campin
? - 1444
Flemish, probably





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Canaletto
1697 - 1768
Italian (Venetian); also worked in England




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Vote for the artist of your choice!  Votes go in the comments.  Commentary and links to additional work are welcome.  Polls open for at least one month past posting.

13 comments:

Christine M. said...

Baby Jeebus looks mighty creepy up there. I always liked Canaletto's skies. Canaletto by a creepy baby.

Chuckdaddy said...

Canaletto

Can anyone fill me in on why there are so many great Dutch painters? Even though I went Italian this time, I've been surprised by how many Dutch/Flemish have been in this tourney (and we haven't even gotten to "v" yet!).

pfly said...

Canaletto, although this one, "attributed to Campin", is strange and fun: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CampinVeronica.jpg

Morgan said...

I'll vote Canaletto, because all of the different people doing different stuff would be interesting to look at in that first painting, and I like the technique (is that the correct word for "how he did the art"?) on his second.

Jenners said...

I abstain. I like neither.

Nichim said...

Camplin. I like the basketry halo and the genuine non-plussed looks of both women.

Elizabeth said...

Campin. That nipple is just so perky.

mrs.5000 said...

Why so many great Dutch and Flemish painters?! Prosperity, patronage, the lasting influence of early masters like Robert Campin...He has my vote. I love me a good annunciation, and I love that his Marys are bookish with nice cozy studies. I've long been a fan of Canaletto, mind you, since I've long been a fan of Venice, but he doesn't quite cut it in this match.

lamanyana said...

Campin for me

Michael5000 said...

Chuck, the Dutch were one of the early merchant superpowers. They controlled the wool trade, were bringing in exotic goods from the "Dutch East Indies," which sounds small but is today's fourth-largest country (Indonesia), had a big, complacent, milk-fed hand in the African slave trade, and had productive agricultural, manufacturing, and financial sectors in place very early in the game under a progressive, permissive domestic regime. You don't get hyperinflationary tulip bulb binges under old school medieval monarchies, after all; the Dutch were pioneers of capitalism with all of its warts, exploitation, prosperity, and wealthy upper middle class wanting pretty paintings to hang on its middle class walls. Plus, they were on the forefront of good oils paint production. Devise an index of high-quality art per capita among world cultures -- that sounds like a project that you and I could both enjoy -- and the Dutch are going to end up in the top tier every time.

These particular Campin images blow, I'm afraid; he's much better than these two would suggest. I'm fond of Canaletto, but he's a bit of a one-note Johnny. Point to Campin.

Michael5000 said...

Here's a postcard vote for Canaletto.

Candida said...

I'm going to go with Canaletto. Even if he's a one-note Johnny, I think the tournament needs that note to stick around more than it needs another series of annunciations. (I like annunciations, too, but I don't think he does them as well as some of the artists we've already seen.

Michael5000 said...

And Candida broke the tie in favor of Canaletto; he'll be facing off against some guy named "Caravaggio" in Round 2.