Khrushchev vs. Lachaise
2018 NOTE: Here is the basis for the ongoing series whose latest entry is today.
Original article behind CHICAGO TRIBUNE paywall.
Upon reading this article, I immediately wondered what statue was at the center of the controversy. Finding out took a little google-fu. Eventually, I hit upon the complete catalogue of works shown, in PDF form. Below is the relevant section.
I did not even bother to google any of the other statues after seeing Gaston Lachaise's "Standing Woman."
Original article behind CHICAGO TRIBUNE paywall.
Upon reading this article, I immediately wondered what statue was at the center of the controversy. Finding out took a little google-fu. Eventually, I hit upon the complete catalogue of works shown, in PDF form. Below is the relevant section.
I did not even bother to google any of the other statues after seeing Gaston Lachaise's "Standing Woman."
Comments
One has to admire his honesty in wanting to see modern "art" for himself before passing judgement - unlike the curator, who passes judgement on the "unspecial" person without ever having met one.
Posted by Richard Bos on 12/14/16 at 09:43 AM
Sort of like a Reubens painting subject made in metal. Many Renaissance paintings had girls with a lot of curves.
Posted by KDP on 12/14/16 at 04:30 PM
Lipschitz' 'Mother and Child' is worth seeing, as long as you're not easily frightened:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PikiWiki_Israel_19476_quotMother_and_Child_2quot_by_Jacque_Lipschitz.JPG
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PikiWiki_Israel_19476_quotMother_and_Child_2quot_by_Jacque_Lipschitz.JPG
Posted by Virtual on 12/14/16 at 11:15 PM
Virtual -- I tried "fixing" the wikimedia link to get it to work, but no luck. For some reason, the site's software keeps removing the semicolons from the link. Must be some kind of security feature. We've had this problem with wiki links before.
Posted by Alex on 12/15/16 at 08:53 AM
Here's another picture: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/81522?locale=en
Posted by Virtual on 12/15/16 at 09:50 AM
The sculpture looks like a true Communist idealization of woman; hardworking, stern and with great breeding hips. What's the problem? Too on the nose?
Posted by Yudith on 12/18/16 at 07:34 AM
"Sort of like a Reubens painting subject made in metal. Many Renaissance paintings had girls with a lot of curves."
To summarize pages 53 to 58 of Professor Arthur Marwick's *Beauty in History*: By the standards of his own days, Rubens was a chubby chaser. The women he liked to paint were much larger than were popular in art in his time. If Rubens's women are beautiful to us it's because they were beautiful to him, and he brought that over to his paintings because he was a great artist.
By the way, if any artist of Rubens' time had created a sculpture like the one above, they would have ended up a laughing stock, if not found themselves thrown into an asylum.
To summarize pages 53 to 58 of Professor Arthur Marwick's *Beauty in History*: By the standards of his own days, Rubens was a chubby chaser. The women he liked to paint were much larger than were popular in art in his time. If Rubens's women are beautiful to us it's because they were beautiful to him, and he brought that over to his paintings because he was a great artist.
By the way, if any artist of Rubens' time had created a sculpture like the one above, they would have ended up a laughing stock, if not found themselves thrown into an asylum.
Posted by jic on 12/18/16 at 07:41 AM
Lol @ category:obesity
Posted by MrD on 12/18/16 at 10:20 PM
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.
Reposted By: Paul - Mon Mar 12, 2018
Category: Art | Criticism and Reviews | 1950s | Russia | Obesity