Art
COMMENTARY: Pandemics like the coronavirus crisis inspire outbreaks of art – Global News
Humanity has a primordial fear of highly infectious diseases such as COVID-19. That is evident from mankind’s longstanding obsession with pandemics.
Scourges that threaten all of us such as Ebola and Spanish influenza — which broke my grandmother’s heart when it killed her son and my Uncle Gordon in 1919 — have been such a preoccupation of screenwriters and film directors that New York magazine’s Vulture section recently published a list of the 79 best pandemic movies. Near the top of the pandemic film table is Contagion, which begins ominously with a black screen and the sound of an unseen woman coughing.
Starring Matt Damon and Kate Winslet, Contagion’s plot is jarringly familiar. A highly infectious disease evolves among bats in China and is transmitted to pigs and then via crowded public markets to humans. In a jiffy, the virus is killing millions and creating social and political havoc around the world.
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Is anyone surprised that Contagion, with its almost true-to-life plot, leapt from 279th place last year to become the second most-streamed film this year? If you are interested in watching it, the movie can be found on Amazon Prime.
One of the other most popular apocalyptic films about disease, death and disorder is Outbreak, which can be found on Netflix. The film stars Dustin Hoffman as the good-guy scientist trying to solve a medical emergency that has arisen. The heavy is New Brunswick’s Donald Sutherland as a sinister general who sees the virus’s potential as a bio-weapon.
Two of my personal pandemic film favourites are the ultra-dark British zombie epic 28 Days Later and the more hopeful Andromeda Strain, which dazzled me with special effects that were nifty at the time I first watched the film in 1971.
Another example of the genre and its abiding popularity as a subject that scares us out of our wits is The Walking Dead. A zombie epic, the television series about a group of survivors trying to avoid an infection that is never really explained has been so successful that it is in its 10th season on AMC and Netflix.
Quite a lot has been written lately about Daniel Defoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year, which is a bleak factual chronicle of Britain’s hellish experience with the Great London Plague of 1665 and 1666, which killed about 100,000, or one-fifth, of that great city’s population. But I have always preferred the diarist Samuel Pepys’s far more earthy personal account of the bubonic plague, which was caused by bites from fleas who made their way around on the back of rats.
Though he was an official in the admiralty at the time of the Great London Plague and had access to all kinds of official information, Pepys was very much a man of the people. He was always out and about and knew many who died from the plague.
With one-third of the world under lockdown, Pepys’s observation — “how sad a sight it is to see the streets so empty of people” — is relevant to billions of people today.
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So, too, is when the lord mayor “commands people to be within at nine at night” and that one of the Royal Navy’s warships, the Providence, has had a sailor die on board from the plague.
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Much less accessible but equally morbidly fascinating is Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron. A series of novellas, it was written in the 14th century in the aftermath of another plague outbreak, transmitted by fleas through rats to humans, which killed more than half the people of Florence, Italy and one-third of the population of Europe.
I was put on to Boccaccio’s book about the Black Death by Ian Hope, a Canadian military historian who lives in Rome. I purchased my copy from Amazon, which was prescient enough to republish the book under its own name long before COVID-19 began festering in the Chinese city of Wuhan last November.
The Decameron is 313 pages of incredibly dense print. It follows a group of seven women and three men who flee Florence for a deserted country home and spend 10 days cut off from the world talking about life.
Much of the novel is a light amusement. A few parts make for very grim reading. One passage reads: people “dropped dead in open streets, both by day and by night, whilst a great many others, though dying in their own houses, drew their neighbours’ attention to the fact more by the smell of their rotting corpses.”
The gist of Boccaccio’s writing is that it is possible to survive a pandemic by practising social isolation among a community of amusing friends who talk far more about love affairs and the indiscretions and other shortcomings of the clergy, politicians and businessmen who populate the known world of London, Paris, Athens, Alexandria and Tuscany than they do about the plague that lurks over the horizon. For this reason, The Decameron is sometimes called The Human Comedy.
All the books, movies and television series about pandemics are, at their core, about humanity’s will to survive. They impart fundamental truths about public health and human behaviour that should inform us today. For example, how being isolated for weeks or months can be a traumatic psychological experience and how critical it is to have a web of friends and family to nourish the brain.
This likely explains why Andrea Bocelli touched such a chord on Easter weekend with his solo performance of Ave Maria and other classical songs in Milan’s empty Duomo cathedral. The YouTube video of the 25-minute-long operatic concert has already been watched by 37 million people.
For the same reason, Capt. Tom Moore, a 99-year-old British Second World War veteran of the Burma campaign against Imperial Japan, has become a global internet sensation by doing 100 laps with a walker in the garden of his Bedfordshire home. The doughty nonagenarian has raised more than $33 million online to help the workers of the National Health Service fight the coronavirus.
There are dire warnings and uplifting messages about COVID-19 in all of these films, books and videos. The most important advice they offer is that by sticking together we can triumph over our primordial fear of pestilence.
Matthew Fisher is an international affairs columnist and foreign correspondent who has worked abroad for 35 years. You can follow him on Twitter at @mfisheroverseas.
Art
Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork
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.
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Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone BBC.com
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The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House has reopened its doors to the public after a fire swept through the historic building in central London. While the gallery has resumed operations, the rest of the iconic site remains closed “until further notice.”
On Saturday, approximately 125 firefighters were called to the scene to battle the blaze, which sent smoke billowing across the city. Fortunately, the fire occurred in a part of the building not housing valuable artworks, and no injuries were reported. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Despite the disruption, art lovers queued outside the gallery before it reopened at 10:00 BST on Sunday. One visitor expressed his relief, saying, “I was sad to see the fire, but I’m relieved the art is safe.”
The Clark family, visiting London from Washington state, USA, had a unique perspective on the incident. While sightseeing on the London Eye, they watched as firefighters tackled the flames. Paul Clark, accompanied by his wife Jiorgia and their four children, shared their concern for the safety of the artwork inside Somerset House. “It was sad to see,” Mr. Clark told the BBC. As a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, he was particularly relieved to learn that the painter’s famous Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear had not been affected by the fire.
Blaze in the West Wing
The fire broke out around midday on Saturday in the west wing of Somerset House, a section of the building primarily used for offices and storage. Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, assured the public that “no valuable artefacts or artworks” were located in that part of the building. By Sunday, fire engines were still stationed outside as investigations into the fire’s origin continued.
About Somerset House
Located on the Strand in central London, Somerset House is a prominent arts venue with a rich history dating back to the Georgian era. Built on the site of a former Tudor palace, the complex is known for its iconic courtyard and is home to the Courtauld Gallery. The gallery houses a prestigious collection from the Samuel Courtauld Trust, showcasing masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among the notable works are pieces by impressionist legends such as Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent Van Gogh.
Somerset House regularly hosts cultural exhibitions and public events, including its popular winter ice skating sessions in the courtyard. However, for now, the venue remains partially closed as authorities ensure the safety of the site following the fire.
Art lovers and the Somerset House community can take solace in knowing that the invaluable collection remains unharmed, and the Courtauld Gallery continues to welcome visitors, offering a reprieve amid the disruption.
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