Hi David,

I am enjoying this playful discussion, so will continue for general
entertainment on the Museum-L list until such time as the list moderator
tells me to stuff it.  LOL!

David writes, in part:
> My use of "revisionism" was not intended to be a pejorative 
> "accusation," merely an observation that your negative opinion
> of Leonardo is opposed to prevailing opinion among art
> historians and the Leonardo-loving public, not necessarily my
> personal interpretation.  Is that not accurate?  There was no
> intent to say "poop on you."  Your revisionism is a fact, not
> merely my opinion about your subjective interpretation.  Not
> that there's anything wrong with revisionism!  Historians
> practice it all the time, and more power to them.

Hmmm.  My revisionism is a "fact" and not your "subjective
interpretation"?  Labeling of any kind -- fact or fiction, revisionist
or prevailing -- is subjective interpretation.  LOL!  My opinion of
Leonardo is neither "negative" nor "positive."  If you choose to see it
as negative, so be it.  (I can't afford to buy you rose-colored glasses,
David.)  Yes, my opinion of Leonardo is opposed to prevailing opinion
amongst art historians and "the Leonardo-loving public."  Perhaps there
is substance to the dissenting opinion, providing room for discussion?
As your reaction demonstrates, David, most people are comfortable with
the prevailing opinion; hence, dissenting opinions are not welcome.  But
this discomfort, rattling the cage of the complacent, keeps historical
events and personages alive long after their death.  So, I will rattle
away!!!  :-)

What is factual is that historians -- art and other -- focus on subjects
for which or about whom there is as much documentation as possible.
Leonardo is a topic rife with possibilities.  You have some artwork,
some naturalistic studies, some personal observations about everything
from civil and military engineering to sexual relations.   (And, of
course, Leonardo's "colorful lifestyle" -- to borrow your phrase -- just
like Cellini's.)  Artists about whom little is known are often ignored
or given less attention, as it's harder to 'use' their production for
academic research, educational programming, and myth building.  It's a
difficult task to develop a good conference paper or vanity publication
about the Master of the Pfullendorf Altar.  Right?  LOL!

Am I "more cynical" or "more realistic" when it comes to the industry of
commercial goods that surround Leonardo?  Oh, I got a kick out of this:
a set of tarot cards based on Leonardo's artwork (see:
www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/leonardo-da-vinci/review.shtml).  From
said web site:

        "The stretch to make a connection between Leonardo and
        tarot is not too great a leap, as Leonardo may have had
        contact with tarot cards in his own lifetime. According to the
        booklet, he had visited the Milanese court of Ludovico da
        Sforza - famous in the tarot world for commissioning tarot
        designs that have survived to this day."

Good solid research, eh?  If the booklet says so . . .

I will happily include dozens of other artists: Michelangelo, Raphael,
Jan Vermeer, Claude Monet, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and a thousand
more.  Some (Warhol and Haring) intended for their art to be popularized
as posters, note cards, buttons, calendars, etc.  But, surely,
Michelangelo did not envision the Sistine Chapel ceiling reproduced in
every conceivable size and shape, on mugs and magnets, pot-holders and
postcards.  Please, take time to visit any one of the hundreds of museum
stores online to buy your "to scale reproduction" of the Annunciation
Triptych by Robert Campin, your Toulouse-Lautrec silk scarf, or your
Starry Night mouse pad.  We, as museum professionals, must not confuse
merchandise sales with good museological practice -- except from the
economic perspective that it keeps some museums open.

Sfamuto: Leonardo did it first.  Woohoo!  Give him the first paragraph
in the chapter on sfumato.  The rest of the chapter will be filled with
other artists, including Correggio.  The Wright Brothers built the first
airplane that carried Orville a good distance of 852 feet (260 meters)
in 59 seconds at Kitty Hawk.  Thankfully, we don't take transatlantic
flights in legs of 852 feet.  (BTW, from New York to London, that would
be 21,485 legs!)  Obviously, chapter one of the history of aeronautics
starts with the Wright brothers . . . but later airplane technology is
better than the 'Wright Flier.'  So, being the first gets you the
introduction . . . But those who came later are the substance for
in-depth study.

Cellini's autobiography: With few extant autobiographies from the
Renaissance period, Cellini's is a highlight; but compared to the
massive production of artwork during the High Renaissance, Cellini's
production is not significant.  The only thing that keeps his artwork in
the public eye is the fact that (see above) historians prefer subjects
for which or about whom there is as much documentation as possible.
This is a matter of documentation determining important objects . . .
not important objects inspiring documentation.

[BTW, I previously avoided mention of Cellini's "colorful lifestyle,"
thinking it irrelevant.  But now that you've introduced the topic, I can
say that in addition to the dozen editions of his autobiography, there
are 279 books -- according to the brilliance of amazon.com's search
engine -- that deal with Cellini's "colorful lifestyle."  Frankly, he
might have been a better artist had he painted in rainbow colors and
left the gold- and silver-smithing to others.]

For now, we can leave Pepys and Hemingway to rest in peace . . . Amen.

*Static* . . . Followed by a deep, booming voice: "We now return you to
our regularly scheduled program."

Best wishes, sincerely,
Jay Heuman

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