tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post4655339144393652469..comments2024-03-26T16:11:44.515-04:00Comments on All Things Ruffnerian, a Design Blog and More: Discovering LeonardoMark D. Ruffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-39277933828193119942012-09-25T13:14:22.900-04:002012-09-25T13:14:22.900-04:00DDM will never run out of dinner conversation, I&#...DDM will never run out of dinner conversation, I'm sure!Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-43381240026217627252012-09-25T11:17:32.099-04:002012-09-25T11:17:32.099-04:00Hi Mark,
I'm not surprise to read that DDM suf...Hi Mark,<br />I'm not surprise to read that DDM suffered from being separated from the painting - I empathize and sympathize with her, but what a great experience she has lived. Great post.<br />Anyes<br />XXAnyes K. Busby - Studio Vignette Fine Arthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00989650562190771548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-13797316569973328772012-07-21T16:49:07.481-04:002012-07-21T16:49:07.481-04:00Hi, Yvette,
I thought about those descendants too...Hi, Yvette,<br /><br />I thought about those descendants too, and what they must be feeling now! But what I don't understand is how a work by da Vinci ever got its overpainting. Somewhere along the line its authorship must have been lost, but who — even not knowing it was a da Vinci — would want to "improve" upon such an image?Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-4207039268446865002012-07-21T14:56:56.353-04:002012-07-21T14:56:56.353-04:00When I saw the price at which this work of art is ...When I saw the price at which this work of art is valued today, my mouth dropped open and I muttered an unlady-like expletive. <br /><br />Wow. Imagine you are one of the descendants that sold this in a 'lot' for 100 bucks. <br /><br />Think what might have happened had a less talented restorer gotten his or her hands on this delicate operation. <br /><br />It is not all that incredible to think, I suppose, that so few Da Vinci paintings still exist. What a fabulous story, Mark. Thank you for sharing.Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-80557053219581740442012-07-17T14:44:14.682-04:002012-07-17T14:44:14.682-04:00Hello, smr,
The mechanics of painted realism is l...Hello, smr,<br /><br />The mechanics of painted realism is largely to create illusions through light and shadow. As I mentioned above, I believe Leonardo knew that the key for his orb's realism was the way it cast light on the fingers and palm of the hand. Place your own hand over the hand holding the orb, obscuring the hand, and you'll see that there's little left to see of the orb. The illusion has everything to do with the hand.Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-53974214631811123012012-07-17T06:29:36.797-04:002012-07-17T06:29:36.797-04:00Fascinating story. But how does one paint the crys...Fascinating story. But how does one paint the crystal orb? The mechanics are an mystery to me. I also think to modern eyes Jesus looks rather unapproachable.smrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-56676461877738824442012-07-16T08:15:10.891-04:002012-07-16T08:15:10.891-04:00Hello, Parnassus,
The damage to the painted surfa...Hello, Parnassus,<br /><br />The damage to the painted surface is only half the story. The wood was split, and it took about a year to piece it back together. Modestini had the difficult task of filling in some areas where there was no paint, a talent that required her to guess how Leonardo would have worked. Talk about pressure!Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-48678863418778197212012-07-16T08:08:53.856-04:002012-07-16T08:08:53.856-04:00Hello, DC,
According to Parnassus (the comment be...Hello, DC,<br /><br />According to Parnassus (the comment below), the image is out there for the viewing. Perhaps I've already seen it myself and did not recognize it — apparently the overpainting was truly awful.Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-68811741192878146372012-07-16T08:04:43.780-04:002012-07-16T08:04:43.780-04:00Hello, Scott - Thanks for picking up on that. I...Hello, Scott - Thanks for picking up on that. I'm sure the restorer fondly remembers every curl of every tress.Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-40742822777194086862012-07-16T07:59:44.878-04:002012-07-16T07:59:44.878-04:00Hi, Karena!
Modestini described parting with the ...Hi, Karena!<br /><br />Modestini described parting with the painting as being every bit as difficult as having a long personal relationship coming to a sudden end. xoxoMark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-38435085774588493392012-07-16T01:31:32.148-04:002012-07-16T01:31:32.148-04:00An exciting discovery. I wonder how much of the or...An exciting discovery. I wonder how much of the original paint surface is actually extant. Most old paintings are considerably restored, and this one seems to have sustained a lot of damage. I looked at one video about it, that showed the ludicrous-looking original overpainting, but did not discuss the extent of the current restoration.<br /><br />We'll have to watch out for future research on this painting.<br />--Road to ParnassusParnassushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08958901307538141468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-57257637325500941322012-07-15T21:44:24.763-04:002012-07-15T21:44:24.763-04:00It is a fascinating story. I, too, would be inter...It is a fascinating story. I, too, would be interested in seeing a pre-restoration image.The Devoted Classicisthttp://tdclassicist.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-18938663135065553272012-07-15T20:50:38.811-04:002012-07-15T20:50:38.811-04:00Mark, you certainly picked a good image to represe...Mark, you certainly picked a good image to represent suffering separation anxiety and depression.Scott Watermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05811055807138445326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-57163779210559890212012-07-15T20:30:33.358-04:002012-07-15T20:30:33.358-04:00Mark I love stories that relate to found works of ...Mark I love stories that relate to found works of art; probably a dream of discovering one myself. I can imagine for a restorer to uncover ever so slowly a masterpiece and then upon finishing it, letting it go to the owner or museum; it could be devastating!<br /><br />xoxo<br />Karena<br />Art by KarenaKarenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05206642885608991170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-7904668796618398222012-07-15T20:05:57.526-04:002012-07-15T20:05:57.526-04:00Oh, I meant to relate that Modestini said that the...Oh, I meant to relate that Modestini said that the eyes were painted directly on the white ground with so many layers of glaze that actual brush strokes were virtually indecipherable. I'm guessing that Leonardo started with the eyes.Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-2339169831906321532012-07-15T19:59:57.858-04:002012-07-15T19:59:57.858-04:00Dear Rosemary,
I suppose a lesser artist would co...Dear Rosemary,<br /><br />I suppose a lesser artist would concentrate on some shiney reflection, but as I look at that orb, I'm drawn to the subtle reflection of light on the palm of the hand and on the finger tips. So brilliant, and one has to wonder whether Leonardo might have actually held a glass or crystal orb. I'll bet he did!Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-36960388273376881822012-07-15T19:53:18.632-04:002012-07-15T19:53:18.632-04:00Hello, Loi,
I did not find a photo of Slavator Mu...Hello, Loi,<br /><br />I did not find a photo of Slavator Mundi before its restoration, but that would have been interesting for the sake of comparison. Modestini's story gives hope that there might be one or two undiscovered da Vincis yet to be found!<br /><br />MarkMark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-59306168338144978722012-07-15T19:47:40.820-04:002012-07-15T19:47:40.820-04:00Hello, Steve,
As I listened to Modestini tell her...Hello, Steve,<br /><br />As I listened to Modestini tell her story, I imagined how close she must have felt to Leonardo, and I imagine that the process of conservation and restoration must have seemed almost like a conversation with him. That would certainly have made quite an emotional impact.<br /><br />Some years ago I was standing in front of Leonardo's Annunciation at the Uffizi. The Uffizi allows viewers to get very close to the artwork, and at some point, I realized that I was standing in Leonardo's space, relative to his executing the painting. I was overcome with emotion then, and I imagine Modestini would have felt that same emotion, quadrupled.Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-88297196349995070912012-07-15T16:30:05.930-04:002012-07-15T16:30:05.930-04:00Dear Mark - great post.
I can well imagine that fo...Dear Mark - great post.<br />I can well imagine that for Dianne Dwyer Modestini it must have seemed almost like a bereavement having spent so much time researching and cleaning such a wonderful work of art.<br />I recall reading that one of the clinches for its authenticity was the transparent orb. It was considered far too brilliantly painted to be the work of one of his disciples. Leonardo was said to be obsessed with problems of how to create translucent effects in painting, and how to capture the mysteries of light.Rosemaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03814070177137076757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-15724855399907508682012-07-15T16:20:47.853-04:002012-07-15T16:20:47.853-04:00What an amazing discovery! For everyone, but espe...What an amazing discovery! For everyone, but especially scholars and the art world. I hope Dianne Dwyer Modestini gets visiting rights for uncovering such an important piece. I was not familiar with the term "pentimenti." Learned much here today.<br />LoiWoodside Parkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13981644571968878448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-58949970600002216552012-07-15T16:17:45.339-04:002012-07-15T16:17:45.339-04:00Interesting story, Mark. I'm particularly cap...Interesting story, Mark. I'm particularly captivated by the restorer's separation anxiety after finishing the painting. I've alway felt that original artwork has a life, an energy--perhaps a little bit of the soul of the painter--that stays with it. I can totally understand that sentiment.An Urban Cottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08666212353075804092noreply@blogger.com