Stuff’s good, isn’t it? In some circles, that is more than enough interpretation of things, but in others, depth, scrutiny and in-depth analysis are demanded. It’s not enough to look at a piece of art and say, “Yeah, that’s really great!” — you have to point out how the clouds in the background symbolize the internal state of the artist, or the shape of the frame contains subtextual cues about the political state of the world at the time of painting.
Certain pieces of work just seem to encourage more of this than others, drawing endless interpretation and analysis, decade after decade of academic pontificating about the symbolic nature of a super-cool painting of a dog.
Sometimes it’s genuinely fascinating, but a lot of the time it comes across as overthinking in a way the creator of the artwork wasn’t necessarily doing — the clouds might just be clouds. They might not have been there in their studio going, “And of course, the angle of the window frame in the background will make it clear to everyone who sees this picture that I have complex views on post-war Russia.” Like, plenty of it is clearly valid, but maybe sometimes people are just doing things to fill the frame, or because they think it looks nice.
There are some iconic creative works that have been so over-scrutinized and analyzed to within an inch of existing, to the point that it somehow ends up making them seem less interesting, less impressive and more like hard work. And hard work’s not good. Stuff’s good, isn’t it?
The Mona Lisa has been discussed, analyzed and thought about far more than it warrants. From speculation about her identity to overanalysis of her smile to absurd conspiracy theories — Dan Brown gotta eat. Maybe it’s just… a nice picture.
People love overthinking Leonardo Da Vinci. What else would spur someone to investigate whether the bread rolls in The Last Supper were meant to represent notes on a stave? It turns out they might, which is bonkers, but even considering that might be a thing is, surely, bonkers.
Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement, a massive fresco in the Sistine Chapel, has been endlessly scrutinized. Does the flayed skin of St. Bartholemew contain a self-portrait of the artist? And if so, isn’t that hella badass?
Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas is incredible, seen from the POV of the royal family as — whoa — Velázquez paints them. A staggering amount of academic papers have been written about the relationships portrayed. Can’t it just be… super rad?
There are so many theories, mysteries and questions about Stanley Kubrick’s movie of Stephen King’s book The Shining that a feature-length documentary, Room 237, barely scratched the surface. What the theories detract from is that it’s fun and spooooky.
Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey invites similar overanalysis, with different analytical approaches reaching entirely contrary positions — there are painstakingly detailed papers about how optimistic it is, and similarly hard-researched ones about its apocalyptic pessimism.
Picasso’s masterpiece Guernica, while universally believed to be an anti-war statement, is interpreted as stating that message in completely contradictory ways. Some claim the bull is the people of Spain while the horse represents Nationalism, some see exactly the opposite.
Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory was, according to the artist, inspired by watching Camembert melting in the sun, but has been interpreted as everything from a treatise on the theory of relativity to a cheerful bit of ant-covered nonsense.
Rodin’s sculpture The Thinker is interpreted as anything from a profound statement on the world as a whole to a pompous portrayal of Rodin himself as an extraordinarily deep thinker. Also they do funny posters of it on a toilet.
Pioneering street photographer Robert Duisneau’s photo Un Regard Oblique is taught in sociology lessons and endlessly dug into. It doesn’t need to be — it’s a dude looking at a butt. Great photo, not that much to it.
Every note, flourish and muffled half-syllable on The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band has been inspected, reversed, isolated, analyzed and pontificated upon. Can nobody just clap their hands to it and think “this sounds nice”?
Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring remains the subject of vastly more speculation than it ever seemed intended to. Who’s the girl? Is it a pearl? Is it an earring? Nobody knows the answers to any of these.
Van Gogh was in an asylum when he painted Starry Night (after the ear thing). Is every brushstroke an insight into his mental state? Are there religious undertones? Was he just trying something new? It’s all been pondered to excess.
Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus is, according to various experts, laden with everything from references to Neoplatonic philosophy to visual puns to ass-kissing references to Lorenzo di Medici, who paid for it. Plus you can almost see everything!
Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain — a urinal presented as art to challenge the definition of what art was — is still discussed and reinterpreted 100 years later. There is no chance Duchamp put enough thought into it to warrant that. It’s a toilet.
LONDON (AP) — With a few daubs of a paintbrush, the Brontë sisters have got their dots back.
More than eight decades after it was installed, a memorial to the three 19th-century sibling novelists in London’s Westminster Abbey was amended Thursday to restore the diaereses – the two dots over the e in their surname.
The dots — which indicate that the name is pronounced “brontay” rather than “bront” — were omitted when the stone tablet commemorating Charlotte, Emily and Anne was erected in the abbey’s Poets’ Corner in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II.
They were restored after Brontë historian Sharon Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, raised the issue with Dean of Westminster David Hoyle. The abbey asked its stonemason to tap in the dots and its conservator to paint them.
“There’s no paper record for anyone complaining about this or mentioning this, so I just wanted to put it right, really,” Wright said. “These three Yorkshire women deserve their place here, but they also deserve to have their name spelled correctly.”
It’s believed the writers’ Irish father Patrick changed the spelling of his surname from Brunty or Prunty when he went to university in England.
Raised on the wild Yorkshire moors, all three sisters died before they were 40, leaving enduring novels including Charlotte’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.”
Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, welcomed the restoration.
“As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial,” she said.
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.
Alleged Fraud Scheme
Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.
Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.
Massive Seizure of Artworks
In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.
Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.
Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed
In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.
Court Proceedings Ongoing
The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.
Impact on the Local Art Community
The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.
For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.
As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.
While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.
Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.
As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.
