Comparisons (Page 2)
Here are some more artworks worth comparing: Caravaggio's
The Lute Player, Gustav Klimt's Judith, Sophie Anderson's The
Turtle Dove and Antonio Canova's Cupid and Psyche standing.
Caravaggio - The Lute Player, 2 versions (left 1595)
I hate to be sexist about this, but it seems to me that the Lute
Player on the left was painted for the Lady of the House while
the one to the right for His Lordship. The girlie version has all
that irrelevant still-life ornamentation: flowers, pears, even a
marrow! The masculine version is all business, concentrating
on musical instruments, and shows more attention to detail.
We also find subtle differences in the sexually ambiguous lute
player: the left one appears to be a ruddy-cheeked youth, but
the one on the right has the pale complexion prized by ladies
of this period, and there's a hint of bust under his/her blouse.
I've cropped the right side of both paintings for enlargement.
Klimt - Judith, 2 versions Sophie Anderson - Turtle Dove
Of the two versions of Klimt's Judith, the one on the right
strikes me as the more sophisticated and more attractive.
The girl in mauve is the original painting. The girl in red is
a tidied up copy that looks like a transfer print, maybe for
a dinner service. Anyone know anything about this copy?
 x 2.jpg)
Canova - Cupid & Psyche standing, 2 versions
(1. Louvre 1796-1800, 2. Hermitage 1800-03)
The version on the left is in the Louvre, Paris; the one on the
right is in the Hermitage Museum, Russia. Spot the difference.
Right. It's that ridiculous cabbage leaf hiding Cupid's whatsit!
Did Canova inflict this monstrosity on the lad to order or is it a
later addition by a Russian prude? Anyone know the answer?
Click-a-pic for a bigger pic.
