Art

Why Is Medieval Art So Weird?

Published

10 months ago

November 17, 2023

musical lion, france, 14th century — A drawing of a musical lion from 14th-century France
@WeirdMedieval on X

To today’s audiences, medieval art can look outright bizarre. Before the stylistic shifts that defined the Renaissance, medieval illustrations often featured flat, unrealistic figures and fantastical scenes.

But the details that make these drawings so baffling are also uniquely endearing. Now, author Olivia Swarthout hopes to capture the beauty of such oddball images in her new book, Weird Medieval Guys: How to Live, Laugh, Love (and Die) in Dark Times, which pulls from maps, artworks, manuscripts and more.

“A lot of it is about showing characters, people or creatures in medieval art that jump out of the page and have their own personality,” Swarthout tells Artnet’s Min Chen. “Humor is a really big part of it. I think it’s what makes people connect with it—they want to be in on the joke.”

Weird Medieval Guys: How to Live, Laugh, Love (and Die) in Dark Times

Explore what your medieval life would have been through a choose-your-own-adventure full of quizzes, how-to guides, diagrams and flow charts that takes you from your birth to your gruesome end, revealing your patron saint, the fate of your love life and the trials and tribulations you faced along the way.

Swarthout is a London-based data scientist. She became interested in medieval art thanks to an art history class she took while studying for her statistician’s degree. Four years ago, she started an account called Weird Medieval Guys on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Since then, she has been collecting the weirdest medieval images she can find, such as a woman throwing up a small demon, an eagle with human faces covering its body and a man with an indifferent expression being brutally stabbed in the head. She posts such images alongside understated captions like “turtle having fun, Germany, 15th century” or “a 14th-century door in Exeter cathedral that has a hole in it for cats to come and go.” Today, the account has over 600,000 followers.

“It’s been thrilling to see the interest in medieval art that my account has sparked,” she tells the Bookseller’ Lauren Brown. In the new book, “I think we’ve done a brilliant job of capturing the spirit of the original Weird Medieval Guys account while adding lots of brilliant new content for people to enjoy over and over again.”

Swarthout also has an Instagram account, a Substack newsletter and a podcast dedicated to medieval history. She hopes to debunk myths and misunderstandings surrounding the period. For instance, most of the artists drawing the “weird medieval guys” were “just people with a job to do,” she tells the Guardian’s Phil Harrison. “They weren’t imbuing their illustrations with a unique artistic spirit; they were just tradespeople.”

third wheel, france, 15th century pic.twitter.com/rmv0ZpUvXw

— weird medieval guys BOOK OUT NOW !! (@WeirdMedieval) November 10, 2023

Although the illustrations in the book are otherworldy, Swarthout manages to connect them to the present day, “noting the many parallels between medieval and modern life,” says Marianne Tatepo, publishing director of the imprint Square Peg, to the Bookseller. “From how hard wooing is, to landlord issues and the whole plague thing, we have much in common with our forebears.”

At the same time, Swarthout tries to avoid focusing too much on contemporary narratives or judgments about the images. Instead, she aims to provide new insights into everyday life during this period of history—which requires looking beyond criticisms of the art’s quality.

“People might ask why they couldn’t draw animals right or why certain things look weird, but I think that’s a reductive way of looking at it,” Swarthout tells the Guardian. “There’s so much contained in this art—and particularly in the fact that a lot of it isn’t all that well-executed or approached with the artistic precision that we’re familiar with—that actually tells us so much about medieval life.”

A Note to our Readers
Smithsonian magazine participates in affiliate link advertising programs. If you purchase an item through these links, we receive a commission.

Source link

Art

A misspelled memorial to the Brontë sisters gets its dots back at last

Published

19 hours ago

September 26, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

Source link

Art

Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork

Published

2 weeks ago

September 13, 2024

Harry Miller

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.