I like to say that there was only one truly creative genius in the whole of art history: the first caveman (or woman) to draw a mastodon on that cavern wall. All other artists have been stealing from him or her ever since. I’ve been reminded of this assertion...
My wife and I just got back from two weeks in California, visiting our daughters. As always, Roberta and I were struck by the beauty of the California landscape. It brought back a question I have occasionally pondered: why bother to paint landscapes in...
In Chicago in the mid-1950’s, Gertrude Abercrombie (1909-1977) was acknowledged as the “Queen of Bohemian Artists.” She grew up in Hyde Park, home of the University of Chicago, the daughter of itinerant opera singers, but she became a painter, not a musician, though...
I got a query through my website the other day, seeking an appraisal of some real estate. Thanking the sender for his interest, I told him that I am an art appraiser and am not qualified to appraise real property. I directed him to the professional organizations...
There are two kinds of collectors that can make a dealer tear his hair. The first kind don’t know exactly what they want; they’re just in the mood to buy something. “I’ll know it when I see it,” they tell you. You end up pulling out paintings of every conceivable...
