Thursday, October 17, 2013

The Infinite Art Tournament, First Elimination Round #20/64



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!!!



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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.



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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:

Christine M. said...

Going Medieval on ya: Gaddi and da Fabriano

Morgan said...

Not too enthusiastic about any of them this round, but I'll go Gaddi and Gertler.

Ben said...

I guess I'm in a more modern mood today: Gaudier-Brzeska and Gertler.

pfly said...

Gaudier-Brzeska and Gertler

Chuckdaddy said...

Gaddi and Gertler

Elizabeth said...

Voting modern-ish this time with Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and Gertler.

mrs.5000 said...

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.

lamanyana said...

Gaddi and da Fabriano (though none of them were that appealing to me).

Candida said...

Gaddi and Gentile da Fabriano.

Michael5000 said...

Votes by mail: Gaddi and Gentile da Fabriano.

Michael5000 said...

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.

Michael5000 said...

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.

UnwiseOwl said...

I know that at least half may be too late, but here's my votes for Gaudier-Brzeska and da Fabriano.

Michael5000 said...

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.