Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Left Bracket Round 8: Vermeer v. van Gogh



Vermeer beat Michelangelo, and Michelangelo beat Wyeth... and Vermeer beat Wyeth!  And Bruegel beat van Gogh!  Which is how we ended up with this Netherlands v. Netherlands face-off between two of the last six artists standing in the Infinite Art Tournament!

We don't have many matches going, so votes on this one (and the Caillebotte/Leonardo match) are due in two weeks.  Vote!  Vote!  Vote!


Jan Vermeer
1632 - 1675
Dutch
With Rembrandt and Frans Hals, Vermeer ranks among the most admired of all Dutch artists, but he was much less well known in his own day and remained relatively obscure until the end of the nineteenth century. The main reason for this is that he produced a small number of pictures, perhaps about forty-five (of which thirty-six are known today), primarily for a small circle of patrons in Delft.... His compositions are mostly invented and exhibit the most discriminating formal relationships, including those of color. In addition, Vermeer’s application of paint reveals extraordinary technical ability and time-consuming care.
- The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History










Vincent van Gogh
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 margain, but with a lot of torn voters, in Round 7 match.
  • Lost to Brughel in Round 8







11 comments:

Morgan said...

Van Gogh, very easily.

Nichim said...

Van Gogh, but I miss Remedios Varo

Michael5000 said...

Three for Van Gogh and one for Vermeer on the Facebook feed.

Michael5000 said...

Another FBer for van Gogh.

Anonymous said...

Vermeer.

Maddy said...

That last was Maddy; the name box didn't appear.

Michael5000 said...

Susan says "Vermeer -- I expect to be in the minority on this -- and isn't ART grand. How could two artists both be so great & so different?

Michael5000 said...

And we've got another one (Gretchen) for van Gogh on FB.

Candida said...

I second Nichim on the Van Gogh and the Varo.

boonec1974 said...

Another vote for Van Gogh, who's warming up here for another eventual swing at Bruegel.

mrs.5000 said...

I think there are certainly days I'd pick Van Gogh of the two, but more days that I'd pick Vermeer. Today it's Vermeer.