Thorns

In the steep path of art, subjectiveness happens so easily that you can see yourself lost in a mirror house filled with smoke. Charlatans make their way into the city of cheats, just like the barbarians at the gate, but not of Rome, and certainly not art.

The contradiction in the art market today, seen through the glass of the history of art, is overwhelming, especially in the last half-century. The market is swarming with humbugs. Of course, that's not new, but it has reached unsuspected stages.

Fra Angelico, Crucifixion, c. 1420

I've never doubted the fact of late recognition. When you start the road of creation and assume yourself as a creator, not necessarily an artist, you also accept the possibility of deception, pain, rejection, and being ghosted. But when you discover that no matter how hard you try, your timing is off track, people's gazes pass you by, then it's demolishing.

In the end, only life and the market have the last word, fair or unfair to the artist, if he is truly one.

There are some cases, as ancient as Judeo-Christianity, that have the blessing of patrons, and some could think God's too. Fra Angelico is one of those few who had the vision, talent, timing, and the right connections. Greatness came to him early and walked beside him most of his life. He was not only a genius but also a visionary.

Recently — that means last year — after an intensive restoration process, a forgotten Crucifixion fresco was rescued, bringing his person back to the palestra. And I salute the artist for his legacy, with the personal wish that I can see the day of one second of his recognition before my death.

Thorns