A new milestone - and some nice feedback

September 12, 2010

Le Concert ChampĂȘtre(aka The Pastoral Concert) at The Louvre. This Titian/Giorgione(?) painting is beloved to me for many reasons, one of which is described below

It was not too long ago, early June to be exact that I posted celebrating the 10,000th unique visitor to 3PP.  I am delighted to announce that today, the 20,000th visitor arrived, from El Salvador, reading my Rembrandt article!

20,000 art & history lovers have traversed 3PP. Thanks to all of you!

This milestone has but one significance to me - because 3PP is a joyous hobby done out of love, and such metrics do not mean dollars. What it does mean is that people are interested in art and history - interested in looking at the images presented, and dare I say interested in the wonderful links and mysteries between art and history through the ages.

Not being totally oblivious to the way the web works, I understand some of the new features have contributed to the dramatic rise in traffic, such as the podcasts and videos - particularly the Caravaggio  series. Then there were the new interviews featured, including authors, a digital artist and an art historian(to date) - with many more to come. Finally, there is also the element of exposure on other sites and more popular blogs such as Alexandra Korey's Tuscany Arts and Irene Hahn's Roman History Books and More.

I personally think 3PP's strength is its ability to appeal to different audiences, not just the art or history communities, but students, video gamers and digital art fans, and the odd curious colleague - whom when they discover I am the one responsible for 3PP are filled with praise, perhaps mixed with shock. As a health worker, it is a welcome escape to travel through time and talk about my favourite artworks!

I would like to present the most wonderful bit of feedback I have received to date. This story resonated with me because it reminded me of a positive experience I had in high school, with a wonderful teacher who encouraged my interest in Renaissance history and art.

I must admit, being a cynical scientist, there is a part of me that wonders if this feedback is true. I have even tried to verify that this painting has been at the Louvre for the last few months because I know it has done some travelling in recent years. I dearly wish it is not some unusual type of hoax!  Even if it is then bravo to the original author for taking the time to bolster my spirits in such elaborate and creative fashion!


Dear 3 pipe problem

I would like to tell you how I enjoy your blog site and say thank you because it earned me a nice gift on a visit to Paris with my family. I found your site looking for pictures of the brain hidden in Michelangelo's sistine chapel paintings. I did a google image search and eventually found your article and the nice pictures - including the one of the brain.

I have always enjoyed drawing and art so saved your site to my favourites and read all the articles over the next few days. The one about Shakespeare and the Samurai was cool!  My older brother has some Kurosawa films and he let me watch them after I showed him I read about it and was interested in it. We now talk about it all the time.

Not long ago I visited Paris with my family. We went to the Louvre of course. What was most exciting for me was not the Mona Lisa, but Le concert champĂȘtre by Titien.  I remembered your article on this and was so excited when I saw it up close. Our tour guide was a young guy called Jacob - he was talking about this painting to the group - and he also seemed to think it is really special. I felt comfortable enough to raise my hand and tell him what I had read on your site. I said even though the painting now has Titien as its painter -  how there is a link with Giorgione and the Roman writer Varro, who wrote about Muses and that is what this painting is about. My parents gave me a surprised look, and everyone in the tour group clapped their hands! Jacob said, "this is a very special young man we have here." It was a bit embarrassing, but a nice feeling too. 

Later Jacob came to find me and my parents at the gift shop and give me a large expensive catalog book of the Louvre. He said it is a present to me to encourage me to keep my interest alive in the arts. It is a really great book with many wonderful pictures and descriptions. My brother told me I should write to tell you this, and helped me write in English because he has lived in UK and his English is better than mine!

Thanks so much!
J
Antwerp, Belgium

What a lovely story! Thanks to the person who sent this!

If you have not read my original article on The Pastoral Concert, please do so by visiting here. Some more information on this masterpiece is also available on the Louvre Museum's official site.

Whilst I do not expect 3PP's traffic to maintain this progress in mathematical terms, what I can do is promise to keep working to bring wonder and delight to the contemplation of the history of art, and some related topics - both old and new.

A very special thanks is extended to art historians Monica Bowen, David Packwood and Alexandra Korey, whose encouragement and advice have been invaluable. Also a special mention to Vicki Leon, who was the first brave author to take the plunge and be interviewed by 3PP!

Now, on with the show!

Kind Regards
H Niyazi

8 comments:

Vicky Alvear Shecter said...

Wow, what a delightful letter! Kind of makes it all worthwhile, doesn't it? It doesn't sound like a hoax to me, but seems quite genuine. I am learning SO much from this wonderful site!

Unknown said...

Cheers Vicky :) It does indeed make it all worthwhile. Or if by some unusual twist of fate it is a hoax, then it is the nicest prank ever!

The original email was sent from Belgium, and NOT on April fools day, are the best bits of evidence I have as to its veracity at this stage.

H

Alberti's Window said...

The letter seems quite genuine to me, too. What kind feedback!

Congratulations on this new milestone! The popularity of your site is well deserved.

Dr. F said...

Congratulations also on passing the 20000 mark. Your post led me to revisit your Concert Champetre original post again. You mentioned the Giorgione, Bellini, Titian exhibition catalog which has an extended discussion of the painting by the Australian Art historian, Jaynie Anderson. She tend to agree with those who give the painting to Titian.
However, in his catalog of 2007, Wolfgang Eller definitely gives it to Giorgione on many grounds.

Neither book gives a convincing explanation of the subject although they mention many. To my eyes there is only one nude female in the picture. In the group on the right Giorgione gives us the rear view, but we get the frontal view in the one standing on the left. Vasari claimed that Giorgione used this method to show that painting could do whatever sculpture could do. Therefore, there would only be one nymph or muse in the painting--probably the Muse of Music.

Also, it might be important to discuss the well and whether the Muse is pouring or drawing.

Frank

Unknown said...

Cheers M and Frank!

@Frank - what do you think of the Varro link with the Titanid muses? Also, obridge has made a wonderful point at the original post about the plucking of strings, another common element of the the Apollonid version of the muses!

I have struggled to find another source that links Varro and Giorgione so clearly. I have recived some wonderful feedback on the link from a very esteemed source, which I cannot reveal publicly - but that in itself is not definitive in any way - it just means said person also likes the Varro link.

I know that Edgar Wind looked at this painting in 'Pagan Mysteries of The Renaissance' but I no longer have my copy to describe its exact emphasis.

I will definitely be reading up more on this in the near future. Like you with the Tempesta, this painting is something of an obsession for me!

At least you don't have the attribution hassles to consider with Tempesta!

Kind Regards
H

Dr. F said...

Sorry, but I can't help you with the Varro. I know very little about ancient authors. If I come across anything I'll certainly let you know.

Duncan Philips, in The Leadership of Giorgione, said that he asked Bernard Berenson about the Concert. Berenson believed that it could not have been done by the early Titian and that it must be by Giorgione.

Anyway, for your info i have decided to take posts from my website and put them on a separate Blog. Please take a look at giorgionetempesta.blogspot.com.

Frank

Unknown said...

Cheers for that Frank! Now your images will be accessible from any browser without the quicktime plugins required!!

I will add it to the 3PP blog roll and reader list :)

Let us know if you need any pointers on using blogger. Happy to help!

Kind Regards
H

Dr. F said...

Thanks for adding my new blog to your reader list, and special thanks for your kind offer on blog pointers. I will certainly need the help. May I ask how you know that you have had over 20000 hits. I have a counter on my website but I don't see one on blogspot.

I read you interview on Caravaggio and will comment there.

Frank

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