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19 March 2006: I have the same problem with Murray's list of the twenty top illumagists
in Western Art, particularly with Michealangelo, who is number one on it. To me he's just
another very competent painter of realistic Biblical scenes--who had trouble painting
unvirile women. More prolific than Raphael and Leonardo but not better. A craftsman,
not an artist. Here's Murray's list: Michaelangelo, Picasso, Raphael, Leonardo, Titian,
Durer, Rembrandt, Giotto, Bernini, Cezanne, Rubens, Caraveggio, Velazquez, Donatello,
Van Eyck, Goya, Monet, Masaccio, Van Gogh and Gaughin. My list wouldn't have
anyone before Turner, who might be in my top ten--although I do like Durer, Donatello,
Raphael and Leonardo. Titian and Rembrandt, too. And Vermeer. Gaughin did some
nice things, but I don't rate him too highly, certainly not in my top twenty. Klee, Pollock,
Kandinsky would have to be in my top ten--or five. Braque, too. Hans Hofmann barely
made Murray's top 154 figures. I more and more consider him the most underrated
painter of all-time. I might have him in my top twenty, but I'm not sure. Again, I'm
leaving out illumagists of the last fifty years or so.
I grant that my list is one-sided, but no more so than Murray's--even though his
does include a few modern artists. None of the latter took the final step into pure art, though (as opposed to reportage).
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