Famous Works of Art—And How They Got That Way

July 20, 2015
Art historian Nici considers some of the world’s most revered pieces of art and the “peculiar—and often inexplicable” circumstances that contributed to their current significance. These include the 1922 discovery of the ancient Egyptian tomb of King Tutankhamun, which benefited from press coverage stimulating the public’s interest, and the steady rise in prominence of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa over centuries, further enhanced by its 1911 theft. The statue Winged Victory sat in the Louvre “friendless and unnoticed” before a mere change in location to the grand central staircase made it a visitor favorite. Nici outlines the controversy surrounding Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass, criticized by the stodgy French Salon, but lauded by more liberal impressionists. Van Gogh is lionized for his cult of personality and tortured history boldly on display in Starry Night, and Grant Wood’s American Gothic is noted for its “ambiguity of form and interpretation,” evident in arguments over the artist’s sincerity. Nici also recalls Andy Warhol’s explosion into celebrity via the Campbell’s soup prints and the multiple controversies surrounding the construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, designed by 21-year-old Yale undergraduate Maya Lin. Viewing the artistic material through the angle of fame is a unique approach and Nici provides ample and accessible theory, interpretation, and historical context to make this an interesting and educational read.

November 1, 2015
Why do certain works of art sustain or lose their fame? asks Nici (professor of art history at Queens College, in Flushing, New York) in the introduction to his study of 20 iconic photographs, paintings, and sculptures. The answer makes for a fascinating look at the content and context of such works as the Great Sphinx, Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, Manet's Luncheon on the Grass, Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother, Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup, and the rest. For each work examined, there is a detailed description and a thorough accounting of its contemporary reception and subsequent reputation. Among the more than 60 images included are a number of color reproductions. Over and over, we read that the reputation of a particular masterpiece often has less to do with its artistic quality and more to do with the success of its publicity and promotion. Any one of these 20 chapters would make a lively and engaging lecture in art history; all of them should be required reading for anyone who has ever visited an art museum.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)