Art and Artifice

Archive 45 - Summer 2023

Walking the steps into the East Building of the National Gallery of Art Washington DC

James Whistler Painting on wall above hearth in the Peacock Room in Washington DC Freer Art Gallery

Activists pour dye into Trevi Fountain in Rome

Story at CNN News

Located in the Trevi district of Rome, the fountain stands at the end of the Aqua Virgo, one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to the city. The current design of the fountain is the work of Italian architect Nicola Salvi, who won a competition held by Pope Clement XII in 1730 to renovate the previous fountain in the area. The sea horses were sculpted by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini's assistant, Pietro Bracci.

How the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa made it famous to the world – Insider

"There was nothing that really distinguished it per se, other than it was a very good work by a very famous artist — that's until it was stolen," Noah Charney, professor of art history and author of "The Thefts of the Mona Lisa," told CNN in 2013. "The theft is what really skyrocketed its appeal and made it a household name."

Related:

How Da Vinci's Madonna with the Yarnwinder was stolen from Drumlanrig Castle in Scotland for the price of a £6 visitor's ticket – UK Guardian Aug 28, 2003

Statue of a Young Boy - 2nd Century Greek

The "Hellenistic Period" was characterized by flowing robes and a certain attention to naturalism, though it could also be combined with contorted muscles and outsized expressions in very dramatic statuary - more about the Young Boy statue, 2nd Centruy Greek

Original Page July 13, 2023