Word: portraits
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...very different Shakira is pictured on the album art of “She Wolf,” though its structure is precisely the same—a simple portrait of the artist directly facing the listener. On “She Wolf,” her hair is Brigitte Bardot, all tousled and blonde, spilling over deeply smoked eyes. The lips are an unsubtle fuchsia, slightly parted as though in invitation. Her bodice dips low and reveals flesh that is too glowing and flawless not to be heavily airbrushed. The image is easy on the ojos, to be sure...
Dylan’s past attempts at getting his sense of humor down on vinyl have provoked the ire of many a critic—most notably 1970’s confusingly quirky “Self-Portrait.” But if “Christmas in the Heart” hinges on a joke, this one is much more inclusive. When Dylan belts out a raspy proclamation of Christ’s birth, it’s simultaneously entertaining and endearing, and his heartfelt delivery is practically contagious. Dylan hasn’t exactly mastered Burl Ives...
Leonardo da Vinci just became even more prolific. An analysis released in the U.K.-based Antiques Trade Gazette claims a small portrait once attributed to a 19th century German artist was actually painted by the Italian master around the year 1500. The surprising revelation is but the latest in a series of cases in which "lost" pieces of artwork were rediscovered through art authentication. But how can experts - who have previously certified works by Caravaggio, Raphael, Van Gogh and countless others - be so sure that a specific painter is responsible for a work...
...brushstroke patterns, analysis of the artist's signature, dating of the pigments or canvas used or even the instinctive (but subjective) opinion of academics who have extensively studied an artist's portfolio. A painting's provenance, or its history of ownership, is also important. Being able to trace a portrait back from owner to owner over the course of centuries is no small feat, and it often lends significant weight to a work's legitimacy...
Cases like these underline the fact that art authentication is a high-stakes game. Da Vinci's portrait has been renamed La Bella Principessa, and its estimated value has been adjusted to about $160 million - a price tag that could result in an unimaginable profit for Peter Silverman, the painting's owner, who acquired it for about...