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Thursday, December 25, 2008

An Art Historian’s Hunch Picks (and Reader Contest!)

With due apologies to Alan at Left at the Gate, I offer my annual attempt at hunch picks with an unusual twist—an art history emphasis—for Friday, December 26. Some are just obvious, like:

Hadrian’s Image (Aqueduct, race 1)










One Starry Nite (Aqueduct, race 5)










Kandinsky (Turfway, race 6)







Mighty Nike (Fair Grounds, race 1)


Georgian (Calder, race 8)

Others, however, are more subtle. Here’s the twist: I’m offering a tempting prize for the reader who earns the most points by first naming the artist who painted each work. Each correct guess is worth 1 point, so let’s see how art savvy you are. The winner will receive (mailed via USPS) a collection of seven paperback thoroughbred childhood classics, either for your own edification or to pass along to your favorite budding thoroughbred fan—all in good to like new condition. They include five Black Stallion books by Walter Farley (The Black Stallion; The Black Stallion Revolts; The Black Stallion and Flame; The Black Stallion Challenged; and The Black Stallion’s Courage); four of these have the classic Ruth Sanderson covers, while one is the newer Pamela Patrick cover. Another book is from the Joanna Campbell Thoroughbred series (Wonder’s Champion) and the other is from the Bonnie Bryant Saddle Club series (Racehorse).

Just enter your guesses in the comment section, along with the image’s number. Contest will end once all images' artists are named, or December 31 (whichever comes first!) Merry Christmas!

1. Tulipmania (Aqueduct, race 3)










2. Absinth (Calder, race 5)










3. First Snow (Charles Town, race 4)









4. Devilish Redhead (Delta, race 1)










5. Machine in Motion (Fair Grounds, race 5)










6. Big Wig (Fair Grounds, race 7)










7. Pokermom (Golden Gate, race 2)










8. Island Miss (Hawthorne, race 4)









9. Thanks Lord (Hawthorne, race 9)











10. Spanish Tango (Hawthorne, race 10)










11. Day of Suffering (Penn National, race 7)










12. Steelyeyed (Turfway, race 8)










Remember, just the artist's name, not necessarily the work's actual title.

EDITED TO ADD: In order to keep it interesting, let's say that the person who correctly names that last artist in the group (thus completing the entire set) earns 3 points rather than just 1 point. For the runner-up finisher, I'm adding a second prize: three paperback copies of Marguerite Henry books (Misty of Chincoteague; Stormy, Misty's Foal; and Misty's Twilight)

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

Never one to pass up a chance to make a fool of myself, here goes!

Absinth: Manet
Devilish Redhead: Millais
Machine in Motion: Dali
Pokermom: Holbein
Island Miss: Gaugin
Spanish Tango: Degas

Will incomplete entries be discarded?

Valerie Grash said...

Woohoo! We have a leader, Teresa with 2 points. Incorrect entries don't count against you so keep trying. Excellent guesses on those, by the way!

1.
2. Manet (Teresa)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Gauguin (Teresa)
9.
10.
11.
12.

Anonymous said...

Tulipmania: I always get the Dutch still-life artists mixed up, but I'm going to say van Huysum, not Brueghel.

Absinthe: Manet (thanks, Teresa).

First Snow: Pieter Bruegel.

Devilish Redhead: Gustav Klimt.

Machine in Motion: ?

Big Wig: Gainsborough, Woman in Blue.

Pokermom: van Leyden?

Island Miss: Gaughin.

Thanks Lord: ?

Spanish Tango: The arms and profile say John Singer Sargent.

Day of Suffering: ?

Steelyeyed: ?

Valerie Grash said...

Oh, Jessica, very impressive...new leader with 4 points. Especially John Singer Sargent, one of my favorite paintings (it's in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston).

1.
2. Manet (Teresa)
3. Bruegel (Jessica)
4. Klimt (Jessica)
5.
6. Gainsborough (Jessica)
7.
8. Gauguin (Teresa)
9.
10. John Singer Sargent (Jessica)
11.
12.

Patrick J Patten said...

1
5 braque
7 De La Tour - The cheat w/ the ace of diamonds
9
11
12

still working...

Valerie Grash said...

Now how did you know the de la Tour? Awesome :)


1.
2. Manet (Teresa)
3. Bruegel (Jessica)
4. Klimt (Jessica)
5.
6. Gainsborough (Jessica)
7. Georges de la Tour (Patrick)
8. Gauguin (Teresa)
9.
10. John Singer Sargent (Jessica)
11.
12.

Patrick J Patten said...

1
5
9
11 david alfaro echo of a scream
12

Patrick J Patten said...

still working, helps having a wife w/ an art degree!

Valerie Grash said...

1.
2. Manet (Teresa)
3. Bruegel (Jessica)
4. Klimt (Jessica)
5.
6. Gainsborough (Jessica)
7. Georges de la Tour (Patrick)
8. Gauguin (Teresa)
9.
10. John Singer Sargent (Jessica)
11. David Alfaro Siqueiros (Patrick)
12.

Patrick J Patten said...

1 Ruysch
5
9
12

Valerie Grash said...

1. Ruysch (Patrick)
2. Manet (Teresa)
3. Bruegel (Jessica)
4. Klimt (Jessica)
5.
6. Gainsborough (Jessica)
7. Georges de la Tour (Patrick)
8. Gauguin (Teresa)
9.
10. John Singer Sargent (Jessica)
11. David Alfaro Siqueiros (Patrick)
12.

Patrick J Patten said...

sorry i can give a tip and say it's pope gregory xii, but never seen that portrait in my life. I feel bad guessing at #5, but I'll say it's late cubism (there are power lines in the painting) maybe russian Popova?, and as for the grace, no idea.

Patrick J Patten said...

gregory xIII (13) he wasn't that great a pope.

Valerie Grash said...

Not a pope; the hat's a tip off to that. And not Cubism, but close...

Unknown said...

Not a criticism but an addition, you could have also listed "The Red Prince Mare" by artist Sir Alfred Munnings! (Would have been very fitting this year!)Last I read, this 1921 piece sold for $7.85 million in 2004- the real two year old Munnings came in at a deal in comparison- he sold for $1.7 million. Despite the slump in real world breeder's sales- another piece by Munnings the artist sold for $1.8 million on Nov. 24, 2008- "F.H. Prince and the Pau Foxhounds".

Anonymous said...

Ok, I can't take credit for any of these answers. I consulted my live-in art history rain man.

5. Robert Delaunay
9. Thomas Eakins
12. Tintoretto (or Titian)

She spent a lot of time deliberating over 12. She went with Tinoretto because of the mannerist elongation of the body, the fabulously monstrous hand but mostly the brush strokes in the lower right hand area. Quote, "and look at how much fun he had with those pom poms".

She thought that perhaps it could be a "school of" since it's a trick question but felt it looked more like the work of a master. She (and now we) can't wait to find out who it's by. Great quiz!

Valerie Grash said...

Ooooh, very good guesses on 5 and 9, but 12 is Titian's "Doge Andrea Gritti" 1546-48, in the National Gallery in Washington, DC.

1. Ruysch (Patrick)
2. Manet (Teresa)
3. Bruegel (Jessica)
4. Klimt (Jessica)
5.
6. Gainsborough (Jessica)
7. Georges de la Tour (Patrick)
8. Gauguin (Teresa)
9.
10. John Singer Sargent (Jessica)
11. David Alfaro Siqueiros (Patrick)
12. Titian (Dana)

Anonymous said...

5. Picabia or Marinetti?

Valerie Grash said...

Getting hot....

Patrick J Patten said...

5 - Delaunay!!!!????

Patrick J Patten said...

aaron douglas

Valerie Grash said...

Nope. Nope. :)

Anonymous said...

5. Dubuffet or Severini?

Valerie Grash said...

Severini is VERY close...definitely on the right track :)

Patrick J Patten said...

5 = Carra

Patrick J Patten said...

12 = tanner, am i even close?

Valerie Grash said...

You are, as they say, tip-toeing through the tulips :)

Valerie Grash said...

The African-American painter Henry Ossawa Tanner is correct for 9 (which is what I suppose you meant)

1. Ruysch (Patrick)
2. Manet (Teresa)
3. Bruegel (Jessica)
4. Klimt (Jessica)
5.
6. Gainsborough (Jessica)
7. Georges de la Tour (Patrick)
8. Gauguin (Teresa)
9. Henry Ossawa Tanner (Patrick)
10. John Singer Sargent (Jessica)
11. David Alfaro Siqueiros (Patrick)
12. Titian (Dana)

Patrick J Patten said...

Balla

Valerie Grash said...

Well, have you guessed every Futurist yet? LOL! Obviously not :)

Patrick J Patten said...

i'll have to wait my turn, but there's only so many left.
Guesses on #5
Teresa = (1) Dali
Patrick = (5) Braque, Popova, Delauney(though dana already said it, ughh big waste by me) Cara, Balla
Dana = (5) Delauney, Picabia, Marinetti, Debuffet, Severini,

Guess Number 6 my wife wants me to guess Marc

Valerie Grash said...

No, still awaiting the final artist for number 5....

Sharon Crute said...

If there's an equine subject in the painting, I'm on it.

5.Elasticity by Umberto Boccioni

Valerie Grash said...

I knew I could count on you, Sharon! Umberto Boccioni, just love saying his name :)

1. Ruysch (Patrick)
2. Manet (Teresa)
3. Bruegel (Jessica)
4. Klimt (Jessica)
5. Elasticity by Umberto Boccioni (Sharon)
6. Gainsborough (Jessica)
7. Georges de la Tour (Patrick)
8. Gauguin (Teresa)
9. Henry Ossawa Tanner (Patrick)
10. John Singer Sargent (Jessica)
11. David Alfaro Siqueiros (Patrick)
12. Titian (Dana)