How Hard is it Really?

Update: More on paintings
Rather than put this as a new post sometime next week, I thought I would update it as a continuation of yesterday's post. I just happened come by these observations from another blog which seems to say essentially the same things I did about "how hard is it really?" It is nice to have some confirmation by someone else, since such ideas brings out arguments that could last days (years?)

Over at 2Blowhards (what does that mean?) a regular poster Donald Pittenger writes about Flair in Art (part one of two).

Here is the decisive quote:

Given that we know what female nudes by Matisse and Modigliani look like, just how hard is it to paint a female nude in the general style they used? I contend it is fairly easy for someone with moderate talent, a little art training, and modest artistic skills to do so. Painting a convincing representational female nude posed against an elaborate background (not just a drop-sheet) requires far more knowledge and skill.

Almost word for word - just how hard is it? Please do read the rest at 2Blowhards.

There is a long discussion in the comments section which seems to stress that at least these artists were "original." But that is a moot point as Donald Pittenger points out:

I agree that coming up with a new style of art of any sort isn't trivial. The point I tried to make was -- GIVEN that the styles of Matisse and Modigliani exist, then it isn't terrible hard for someone with average painting skills to do something pretty similar. IMPLICIT in this idea (I should have made it explicit) is that it's a LOT HARDER to do a similar riff on, say, Rembrandt.

There. If more people said this, we wouldn't be dealing with the atrocities of the Damien Hirsts.

Now look at a Matisse (although I do confess that I like Matisse, but that is probably because I like interior and textile design, which his work reminds me of.)

And a Rembrandt.

This Matisse was recently was auctioned off for $33.6million at this year's Christie Fall Auction.

Left: L’Odalisque, Harmonie Bleue, 1937. By Henri Matisse.
Right: Portrait of Hendrickje at Window, 1656-57. By Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

[Click on pictures to see larger versions]

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