Interesting (to me) art-related bit from my weekend - re: Michelangelo

[NDallasRuss]

Something I thought was interesting, so I wanted to share...

This weekend I went to the Kimbell Art Museum - it's a pretty good museum here in Ft Worth. One of the things they have is Michelangelo's first-known painting. He painted it when he was 12 or 13 years old. It's WAY better than anything I could have painted when I was that age, or now, or ever.

Anyway, I found the story of the museum acquiring the painting pretty interesting. The museum's art director was on his second day on the job when he learned the painting was for sale. The authenticity of the painting was still kinda in question, so it was a huge risk.

"“I said to myself at the time, ‘If we don’t buy it and it ends up being Michelangelo, it’s something I’ll regret for the rest of my life,’” Lee said. “‘But if we end up buying it and it ends up not being Michelangelo, it will be so much worse.’”"

So, two days in and this guy has to make a career-defining decision.

He decided to buy it, and experts later confirmed it was authentic.

Anyway, I thought it was interesting.

Fort Worth is home to Michelangelo’s first painting. Here’s how it ended up at the Kimbell | Fort Worth Report

The Kimbell Art Museum is home to “The Torment of Saint Anthony,” the Renaissance artist’s first known easel painting.

fortworthreport.org

 

[HawCory]

They had 12 year old kids drawing demons and shit back then?

 

[desihawk]

i find it very difficult to believe that 12 or 13 year old angelo painted that. technical degree of difficulty is not the issue but the topic and details make me skeptical.

edit: as i think about it i suppose kids that age can be that insightful and morbid

 

[NDallasRuss]

They had 12 year old kids drawing demons and shit back then?

Yeah, by then he was already out of the house and training under other artists.

 

[Rifler]

 

[IAFB2021Champs]

Something I thought was interesting, so I wanted to share...

This weekend I went to the Kimbell Art Museum - it's a pretty good museum here in Ft Worth. One of the things they have is Michelangelo's first-known painting. He painted it when he was 12 or 13 years old. It's WAY better than anything I could have painted when I was that age, or now, or ever.

Anyway, I found the story of the museum acquiring the painting pretty interesting. The museum's art director was on his second day on the job when he learned the painting was for sale. The authenticity of the painting was still kinda in question, so it was a huge risk.

"“I said to myself at the time, ‘If we don’t buy it and it ends up being Michelangelo, it’s something I’ll regret for the rest of my life,’” Lee said. “‘But if we end up buying it and it ends up not being Michelangelo, it will be so much worse.’”"

So, two days in and this guy has to make a career-defining decision.

He decided to buy it, and experts later confirmed it was authentic.

Anyway, I thought it was interesting.

Fort Worth is home to Michelangelo’s first painting. Here’s how it ended up at the Kimbell | Fort Worth Report

The Kimbell Art Museum is home to “The Torment of Saint Anthony,” the Renaissance artist’s first known easel painting.

fortworthreport.org

i guess at least when he made the purchase he wasn’t to far along in his new job if he got it wrong and had to find a new one.
Seems like a well done painting and pretty cool that a 12 year old did this but I will never understand art. Maybe it’s because I don’t have an artistic bone in my body.

 

[NDallasRuss]

i find it very difficult to believe that 12 or 13 year old angelo painted that. technical degree of difficulty is not the issue but the topic and details make me skeptical.

edit: as i think about it i suppose kids that age can be that insightful and morbid

I think back in the 1480s a LOT of art was about religion - including heaven and hell. They didn't have much else going for them that they could paint about. Look at all the famous Renaissance paintings - pretty much all religion, and most not overly happy.

 

[NDallasRuss]

i guess at least when he made the purchase he wasn’t to far along in his new job if he got it wrong and had to find a new one.
Seems like a well done painting and pretty cool that a 12 year old did this but I will never understand art. Maybe it’s because I don’t have an artistic bone in my body.

For me - I've always had a really deep appreciation of art specifically because I recognize that (whether we're talking about painting, symphony, opera, or theatre) it's SO far beyond anything I'm capable of, that I'm in awe of anyone that can do it at a high level.

 

[Rifler]

I think back in the 1480s a LOT of art was about religion - including heaven and hell. They didn't have much else going for them that they could paint about. Look at all the famous Renaissance paintings - pretty much all religion, and most not overly happy.

The church had most of the money and if you wanted to get paid for your talent you worked for the church...

 

[SI_NYC]

i find it very difficult to believe that 12 or 13 year old angelo painted that. technical degree of difficulty is not the issue but the topic and details make me skeptical.

edit: as i think about it i suppose kids that age can be that insightful and morbid

It’s not that advanced that a 12 year old couldn’t do that. To a lesser degree my daughter can draw anime characters pretty well when she was 10. Drawing/painting is just practice and a good eye for seeing. Anyone can learn to do it. It doesn’t surprise me a bit that a master such as Michelangelo painted this painting at 12. It even shows some amateurism.

 

[desihawk]

I think back in the 1480s a LOT of art was about religion - including heaven and hell. They didn't have much else going for them that they could paint about. Look at all the famous Renaissance paintings - pretty much all religion, and most not overly happy.

true...reminds me of the getty museum in la...it's been a while but the unparalleled massive collection of religious paintings from that era is perfect to induce depression and nightmares

 

[NDallasRuss]

true...reminds me of the getty museum in la...it's been a while but the unparalleled massive collection of religious paintings from that era is perfect to induce depression and nightmares

I imagine back then, depictions like that were pretty effective in getting people to "straighten up" and live right - to avoid spending eternity with those scary-ass demons!

 

[IAFB2021Champs]

For me - I've always had a really deep appreciation of art specifically because I recognize that (whether we're talking about painting, symphony, opera, or theatre) it's SO far beyond anything I'm capable of, that I'm in awe of anyone that can do it at a high level.

It depends on the piece of art. Some things are amazing and I’m sure I don’t understand how truly great it is supposed to be.
But what I really don’t understand is when it looks like someone threw paint and a canvas and then made up a story about it.