On Jun 13, 2010, at 11:56 AM, William Conger wrote: > Yes, but some of the world's greatest portraits were painted between 1500-1700.
And Armenini says as much in another part of the book: "I do not deny, however, that there have been some good artists who have painted portraits very well:" and he lists Raphael, Sebastiano del Piombo, Luca Longhi, and "the true master in portrait painting has been Titian of Cadore." >From Edward Olszewski's translation, published in 1977. Available in part on line at: http://books.google.com/books?id=ecAtJZO1R_MC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Giovan ni+Battista+Armenini&source=bl&ots=dwtGEL1TRH&sig=iytAc5jUkH6XvG5tyF4VHwGXy4c &hl=en&ei=NNgUTMWFFYSglAeB7bX4DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0 CBwQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false or http://snipurl.com/xduow > This Battista is another, albeit early, example of art theorizing prodding artist to do exactly what theory proscribes. This sort of "arrogant creative behavior" began with artists like Ghiberti and Donatelloand has continued to the near present. Nowadays artists are only too eager to illustrate what the theorists proclaim. You might call it a revival of the Word, a weird analogical reincarnation of Reformation authority and denunciation of individuality, a predictable and peculiar manifestation of northern Euro-American faith in centralized authority through official text. >From the brief biographic note in Goldwater and Treves' "Artists on Art," Armenini was "first painter, then priest." Only one painting survives, an Annunciation scene. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Michael Brady
