History knows cases when even great artists for some reason did not finish his paintings.
We can only guess over whether the artist or the inspiration to bring the work to completion was prevented by some other reason. In this review a dozen unfinished paintings of renowned artists.
1. The adoration of the Magi. Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci believed that “quality work takes time.” He was working too slowly to finish a number of his creations, as the vast range of his talents forced the genius to invent new things.
In 1481, when da Vinci lived in Florence, the Augustinian monks ordered him to paint “the adoration of the Magi” – a scene depicting the three wise men came to worship the newborn Jesus. During the year, da Vinci created the original sketch in natural size (2,1×2,1 m) and started to paint it. But the artist needed the money. In 1482 he gave up his job and went to Milan, to attain the favor of rich future of the Duke of Milan Ludovico Sforza. It was worth it, because in Milan the artist was commissioned to paint the famous “the last supper”.
2. The Treaty of Paris. Benjamin West
By the end of the American revolution, both parties are understandably looking for mutually beneficial conditions for mutual agreement, so the American delegation, including John Adams and Benjamin Franklin went to Paris to start negotiations with the French, the Spaniards, the Dutch and the British in 1783.
To celebrate the peace Treaty, which was in the end concluded, the famous historical painter Benjamin West was commissioned to draw a picture depicting this event. In all this there was only one snag: the British delegates refused to be drawn as we felt shame. As a result, in the picture there is a gaping empty space in the place where the British were during the painting.
3. Victory Boogie Woogie. Piet Mondrian
Abstract Dutch painter Piet Mondrian is known throughout the world because they depict the layouts of the cities in the most basic elementary colors and shapes. Reflecting musical influences and energy of new York, the painting “Victory Boogie-woogie” was not finished due to the death of Mondrian from pneumonia in 1944.
4. James hunter black draftee. Alice Neel
Oil painting American portraitiste Alice Neel “James hunter black draftee” is an excellent example of how a painting can be completed, despite the fact that did not finish until the end. Although the picture was not actually over, Neal decided that its incompleteness, in fact, already conveys the emotions that she wanted to achieve from the picture. In the end, she signed the painting and put it in the Whitney Museum.
For most of his career, Neil was often invited strangers to pose for a portrait. In 1965 she was invited to James hunter, who had just learned that he was called into service to participate in the Vietnam war. During the first posing, Neal finished most of the painting, the posing, the hunter did not appear.
5. The Madonna with the long neck. Parmigianino
Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola (also known as Parmigianino, as he was born in Parma) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance, who painted in the Mannerist style, i.e. with exaggerated and elongated proportions. After receiving an order to paint a picture of Jesus and Mary, for funeral chapels, Parmigianino devoted to the creation of the “Madonna with the long neck”, but died of fever in 1540, and not having finished it.
A known perfectionist, Parmigianino, perhaps, is a classic example of how a person is not able to stop in time and bring it to the end. He was never able to fully achieve what he wanted, and in the end, in the picture there are a few unfinished areas (for example, column of the sky).
6. Portrait Of George Washington. Gilbert Stuart
One of the most famous portrait artists of his time Gilbert Stuart has written more than 1,000 works, including portraits of presidents, kings and Queens throughout Europe and the United States. His most famous work, however, is intentionally unfinished painting of George Washington. After Stewart for the first time wrote to George Washington in 1795, George’s wife Martha asked Stuart to create another portrait of the first President of the United States in 1796. Stuart never finished the second portrait, by writing only the face and part of the background. However, this image is used on the banknote of $ 1.
7. Oscar – broken portrait. Natalie Holland
Also known as the “blade Runner”, Oscar Pistorius is widely regarded as a hero because he defied his disability (he was born without a fibula in both legs) and won six gold medals at the Paralympic games. This is simply incredible for a man who had both legs amputated below the knee. To celebrate this event, the Russian-born artist Natalie Holland was commissioned to paint several portraits of Pistorius.
The third portrait (which she wanted to show the victory of Pistorius) was left unfinished. After Holland completed the writing of the face and hands of the athlete was convicted of murdering his girlfriend and sent to prison.
8. The unfinished portrait. Elizabeth Shumatova
Elizabeth Shumatova initially refused to write a portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt, but she managed to convince. The first portrait, she was not happy, so in 1943 I tried to do another portrait of the President. Although she had heard that Roosevelt was ill, the President insisted on posing. He was in a good mood during the week, posing for Sumatovac, and constantly joking. But suddenly, during regular posing, Roosevelt complained of a severe headache and then lost consciousness and fell face forward. He suffered a stroke and died the same day.
9. Burial. Michelangelo
“The burial” – an unfinished painting depicting the body of Jesus, which are entered into the tomb after the crucifixion. The history of the painting is shrouded in mystery. There are no signatures of Michelangelo, the painting was missing several pieces, and the painting was lost for many centuries. Where the “Burial” was unknown before 1846, when the Scottish photographer and artist Robert MacPherson has decided to revise a lot of pictures, bought them for £ 1 and decide what to throw away and what to leave. To his surprise, he recognized one of the paintings, the brush of Michelangelo.
10. The bend in the road. Paul Cezanne
At the late paintings of Paul cézanne is often asked: “But this painting really finished?”. Cezanne was afraid that one wrong brushstroke will ruin the whole painting, so in his later works there are whole pieces of unpainted canvas. Some believe that this was unintentional and due to poor vision of the artist.
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