Comparisons (Page 1)
Two pairs, four masterpieces. It took me a while to twig that
there were copies of different originals on the web. Adjusting
colour/brightness/contrast/gamma controls failed to make
them look the same. Then I discovered that more than one
museum claims to own an original! You need to view these
paintings side-by-side to appreciate their subtle variations.
Caravaggio - St John the Baptist as a Child (1600) 2 versions
The two Caravaggio's were painted in the same year: 1600.
I imagine a second patron visited Caravaggio's studio and
ordered a copy. These aren't Caravaggio's only paintings
of St John the Baptist. He produced at least eight. It looks
as though he was trying to corner the market in St John's.
Bouguereau - Wet Cupid (1891) and Cupidon (1875)
These two Bouguereau's are 16 years apart, the later version
an improvement on the original. The earlier version made me
wonder why this pink and healthy-looking Cupid was in such
a silly pose. Being coy? The later version explains his pose.
He is wet and cold; he hugs himself to try to get warm and
stands with one foot on the other to warm his feet. The only
major difference between these two paintings is skin tone!
Whether you love Bouguereau's art or think it naff, you would
need to be very short-sighted to deny that he is the all-time
master of skin tone. This comparison demonstrates the point.
These 2 versions of Alphonse Mucha's Madonna of the Lilies
are clearly different, but they are still well worth comparing,
because each version has its strengths and its weaknesses.
Mucha - Madonna of the Lilies, 2 versions
Click-a-pic for a bigger pic.
