Thursday, 6 April 2006

Christie's flogs Turner

Turner - La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio
Turner's view of Venice La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio, auctioned today by Christie's, New York, for $35.8m (£20.5m) including 12% commission, set a new record price for a British artist. Now I know why I prefer Canaletto: the Turner makes me feel as though my spectacles need cleaning.

1 Comments:

At 7/4/06, Blogger Unknown said...

I take your point, but I can think of some arguments against it. The Brit. painter Atkinson Grimshaw worked from photographs and produced attractive, atmospheric, unique works. Then there's the continuing popularity of local views (see my blog on what art subject to paint). Does it really matter whether the artist works from nature or a photo, so long as he or she captures the essence of a recognizable local view? Nevertheless I must admit I enjoy the "landscapes" of the best fantasy artists, which come purely from imagination. Have you seen Giger's erotic metal landscapes? Mind-blowing!

 

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