Books, Cards and Coins, 20" x 30"
Inspired by themes and imagery in Georges de La Tour's The Fortune Teller, this is something I've wanted to paint for some time. De La Tour was mostly forgotten from the time of his death (1652) until the 1950s. The Fortune Teller was rediscovered in a French chateau in the 50s and now hangs in The Met. It's universally acknowledged as a masterpiece.
In de La Tour's paintings of cardsharps and fortune tellers (a theme popularized by Caravaggio), the idea of luck and gambling overturning slow, steady labour is a prevalent idea - that a fortune could be won or lost at cards.
In my painting, the books can represent knowledge but the battered playing cards on top of them represent chance or fortune. So, by which means - knowledge or luck, does one acquire money? Cards, money and books are also common themes in the vanitas still lifes I'm always going on about. Examples are, Antonio de Pereda, The Dream of the Knight; Juan de Valdes Leal, Allegory of Vanity.
Formally, the vertical rectangles of the cards are balanced by the horizontal rectangles of the books. I wanted to give the Ace of Spades its own podium. (Is it a coincidence that our black lab is also named, Ace?) The playing cards accidentally went through the laundry and so the wear on them is from this. The effect is a sort of random mangling. I also wanted to achieve a visual tension that hopefully is conveyed by the balancing of the cards and the precariously perched coins.
detail, Books, Cards and Coins
looking at De La Tour, February 2009
Knowledge or luck? How about magic? Kind of makes you believe in magic when you look at such a cool painting. Outstanding.
ReplyDeleteMarvelous painting, Robert. I think when we look at your work and those of other remarkable artists, it looks like magic, but I don't think it is by luck at all. Lots of theory, time and practice goes into each piece, which is knoweledged based. I think we need to be prepared for luck, however. That is, one works at the knowledge and skill to have that amazing piece ready for that lucky day when someone buys it!
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