Could a work painting on the wall of this Surrey cottage be by one of the pioneers of abstract art, Ben Nicholson? Fake or Fortune s10e1: Ben Nicholson
‘We are of the opinion that this work does contain elements consistent with the work of Ben Nicholson. However, We strongly believe parts of the composition are by a different hand.’ ibid. expert
Worth between £50-100,000. ibid.
Marla Olmstead [4] is creating a whirlwind painting with her abstract paintings flying off gallery walls … My Kid Could Paint That, news, 2007
People are asking about this art for real. ibid. father
[expert admires picture] You could slip it into the Museum of Modern Art. ibid.
I saw no evidence that she was a child prodigy. ibid. other expert
I don’t see Marla as having made or at least having completed the most polished-looking paintings. ibid.
Some are wondering if she might have had some help with her art work. ibid. news
There will be a special place in Hell for Marla’s parents. I guess it’s OK for some of the scammed money to go [to] the kid’s college fund, but put some aside for therapy when she gets old enough to see what they’ve done with her. ibid. social media post
Just spent the day with the Olmsteads trying to get the footage of Marla painting one of her paintings … If they’re lying, they’re lying incredibly well. ibid. documentary maker
The whole 60 Minutes episode was terrible. ibid. mother
I don’t think anybody who could watch this footage could come out of it feeling anything other than the fact that Marla actually does these paintings. ibid. gallery guy
Art and money have always gone hand in hand. It’s very important for good art to be expensive. You only protect things that are valuable. If something has no financial value, people don’t care. The Price of Everything, comments, 2018
No question Jeff Koons changed everything in terms of sculpture. ibid. Schimmel
I wanted to be an artist. Now an artist can do anything … You do what you can do. ibid. Larry Poons, artist
New York still is, in terms of the big auctions, the centre of the art market, because big ticket items are always sold in New York. But what has changed is that the art market has become totally global. ibid. Simon de Pury, auctioneer
[Jean-Michel] Basquiat. He’s one of the hottest things in the art market at the moment. ibid. comments
That’s essentially what the auction have become: a trading house for assets. ibid.
There are no rules about what is going to be good and what is going to be bad. ibid.
The supply was almost infinite. I don’t think anyone really understood just how important contemporary art was going to become. ibid. auctioneer
There’s a lot of people that know the price of everything and the value of nothing. ibid. collector
When Pollock finished his first drip painting, he asked his wife, Is this a painting? ibid. Saltz, critic
And that is what contemporary art has become. It is a luxury brand. ibid. comments
Florence, 1478: The ruling Medici family has been attacked by rivals in the city’s cathedral. The patriarch Lorenzo is injured. His brother is murdered. Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty I, caption, BBC 2024
‘I knew that this world was not one of beauty and creation alone, but also of blood and betrayal.’ ibid. Michelangelo
Out of the turmoil, three men emerge who will change Western art for ever: Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael. ibid.
15th-century Florence is famous for banking, trade, and above all, the skill of its artists. ibid. narrator
In the Medici household, Michelangelo is schooled in radical new ideas. ibid.
Lorenzo identifies a Florentine artist down on his luck and looking for patronage. He is 23 years older than Michelangelo, and his name is Leonardo da Vinci. ibid.
Leonardo joins Sforza’s court in Milan and pleases his patron. ibid.
Michelangelo, 1492: Battle of the Centaurs. ibid.
Into the vacuum steps a religious zealot: Girolamo Savonarola. Ibid.
‘Thus I left Florence, and made my way for the first time in my life to Rome.’ ibid. Michelangelo
Michelangelo 1496-97: Bacchus. ibid. caption
Michelangelo is out of work once again. ibid. narrator
Leonardo da Vinci, 1495-98: The Last Supper. ibid. caption
Savonarola: The Bomfire of the Vanities. ibid.
Michelangelo, 1498-99: Pietà. ibid.
Florence, 1501: At 26 Michelangelo is the rising star of Renaissance Italy. For 5 years he has been establishing himself as a talented sculpture in Italy. Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty II
Also returning is the superstar artist of the day, Leonardo da Vinci. He’s been away in Milan building a dazzling reputation. ibid.
In these brutal times, rulers need money, military might, and masterpieces. ibid.
They torun on Savonarola, hang him, burn his body, and throw his remains in the river. ibid.
‘Nobody quite gets to the orbit of Leonardo da Vinci.’ ibid. biographer
Leonardo da Vinci, 1501-08: The Burlington House Cartoon. ibid.
‘And now I had the chance to prove him wrong with my David.’ iibid. Michelangelo
‘David totally changes the conception of sculpture.’ ibid. Gormley
With Michelangelo and Leonardo fixated on fighting each other, neither notices the new arrival of a disruptive threat to their reputations. 21-yearold Raphael Santi is a boy wonder. ibid.
Raphael, 1508: Combat of Nude Men. ibid.
Leonardo’s secret blend of oil and pigment fails to dry. The paint smears and his work is ruined. ibid.
As Florence declines, the fortunes of Rome are on the rise. ibid.
Everything now hangs in the balance for Michaelangelo. ibid.
‘Raphael wangled himself a small commission painting the walls of the Pope’s apartment.’ ibid. Michelangelo
Raphael, 1509-10: Disputation of the Holy Sacrament. ibid.
Florence, 1530: Over three decades Michelangelo has won fame and prestige creating masterpieces for Italy’s most powerful rulers. But these are brutal dangerous times and an age of almsost constant war. Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty III
‘Once you start to mix art and money, then it’s a lethal cocktail.’ ibid. comment
Rome, 1509: Michelangelo is working on the biggest commission of his life … While he struggles on, his greatest rivals thrive. ibid.
Raphael, 1509-11: The School of Athens. ibid.
‘Michelangelo is driven on by Raphael’s success. But the Sistine ceiling is a mammoth task.’ ibid.
Raphael, 1511: Pope Julius II. ibid.
Michelangelo, 1508-12: The Sistine Chapel Ceiling. ibid.
‘All I wanted to do was sculpt.’ ibid. Michelangelo
Leonardo da Vinci, 1503-19: Mona Lisa. ibid.
‘We all lost something when Leonardo died.’ ibid. Michelangelo
Leo chooses the reliable Raphael to make ten lavish tapestries. ibid.
Raphael, 1515: The Raphael Cartoons. ibid.
Raphael is enjoying all the rewards of being Leo’s golden boy. ibid.
‘Now they’re all dying: Leonardo 1519, Raphael 1520. So, yes, it does affect Michelangelo’s drive and motivation.’ ibid. comment