The Genius of Originality

Sigmund Freud once said that, “…artistic talent is still a psychological riddle”.

I have often thought about what it is that differentiates a master from an artist: those individuals who are written into history as an experience and not just a by-product of it.

I believe that talent is not a mark of genius or creativity; nor,  is creativity a mark of talent or genius; nor, do I think that genius is a mark of creativity or talent. (Sorry for the lesson in Boolean algebra.)

Creativity, genius and talent are all a mark of originality. And originality is a discipline to a style that
inherently becomes one’s own.

Originality becomes a recognizable trademark of the master so even if we, the audience, have never seen this particular piece of art before, we are still able to identify it with that particular artist.

A woodcut or engraving by Albrecht Durer is identifiable by his use of eliptical-linear lines adding a three dimensional aspect and his off-center perspective (the golden section). Although accomplished, both  Schongauer and Goltzius are different in appearance.

The etchings and drypoints of Rembrandt are unmistakeable because of his impossibly-rich burr and meticulous use of cross-hatching which enhanced his use of chiarscuro. Whether the print is a Biblical scene, a portrait, a landscape, an allegory or any other genre, his print oevure is distinct.

Miro employed his playful use of his biomorphs.

Chagall had his reocurring motifs of floating lovers, farm animals with human eyes, fiddlers on roofs.

Picasso utilized his multi-dimensional perspective of cubism.

Goya wielded his burin in satirical renderings of the elite.

These artists distinguished themselves by their brilliance which is not a measure of watts but wit. They have separated themselves not just because they are remembered over time, but in tomes.

These artists have distinguished themselves by being original.

That is the genius of their art!

Dissecting Melancholia

Beyond the rhetoric and debate of one of the most allegorical moments in art, or anywhere else, for that matter, is Albrecht Durer’s meaning behind his 16th century engraving, Melancholia 1.

For over ten generations since its creation in 1514, philosophers, adepts, theorists and enthusiasts have been engaged in sophistry concerning the intent of Albrecht Durer.

Some believe Melancholia 1 concerns itself with humankind’s quest to inspirit itself, waiting for a spark no different than Archimedes “eureka” experience. Others believe it addresses our technological disability to solve the age old question “what is the meaning of life.” And that no matter how advanced our technology evolves it will never be able to answer such heady questions.

As for myself, aside from the intrinsic intricacies of the engraving, I believe Albrecht Durer knew exactly what he was doing: to evoke, at the very least, a cerebral debate that would act as the proverbial “revolving door” for future generations to come.

It is the very nature of not knowing that delights us.

Robert Burton said it best in his treatise, Anatomy of Melancholy, when he wrote:

“Tis no disparagement to be a stranger
or so irksome to be an exile,
the rain is a stranger to the earth,
rivers to the sea,
Jupiter in Egypt,
and the sun to us all.
The soul is an alien to the body,
a nightingale to the air,
a swallow
in a house,
and Ganymede in heaven,
an elephant in Rome,
a phoenix in India.
And such things commonly please us best
which are most strange and come from
farthest off.”

That, quite simply, is Melancholia 1: it comes “from farthest off”.

Why Durerpost Products?

I would like to think that the value of Durerpost products and information are self-evident; and they will, eventually promote themselves. But until then, forgive me for giving them a little impetus forward.

Recently at auction (March, to be exact), an Albrecht Durer woodcut, the Annunciation (M. 195, B. 83) from one of his great woodcut cycles,  the Life of a Virgin, was sold at auction for just under $11,000. It was sold as a proof impression before the Latin Text Edition of 1511 with a High Crown watermark (M. 20).

The catalogue raisonne of choice when dealing with Albrecht Durer woodcuts is Joseph Meder’s, Durer-Katalog ein Handbuch Uber Albrecht Durers Stiche, Radierungen, Holzschnitte, Deren Zustande, Ausgaben und Wasserzeichen.

It is a brilliant compilation. Worthy of any collector who collects Albrecht Durer woodcuts and intaglios. It sells for around $100 and can be bought from any of the major rare book house.

It is written, however,  in academic German, which is why Durerpost offers the documentation of Albrecht Durer’s great woodcut cycles in English-translated versions of his catalogue raisonne.

In other words, you can read this: “Prachtvoll, klar, ohne Große Gegensätze, weil ohne Kreuzlage. Unterrand eine Lücke, ebenso im Bergontur zwischen den Flügeln. Vor den weißen Kritzeln in deer untersten Türschwellschattierung (Blasius, Braunschweig). Wz. 62 Ochsenkopf oder 20 Hohe Krone.”

Or, you can read it in English as this: “Magnificent, clear, without large contrasts, because without crosshatching. Bottom edge a gap, likewise mountain contour between the wings. Before the white scribble in the lowest threshold (bottom door sill) shading (Blasius, Braunschweig). Ox Head with Five Petal Flower, Triangle and Two Cross Lines with Single Long Flower Stalk watermark (M. 62) dating the paper from 1441 to 1481(?) — 1519; or, High Crown watermark (M. 20) dating paper from 1480-1525.”

In April of this year, at another major auction house, another Albrecht Durer woodcut, The Whore of Babylon (M. 177, B. 73), from his great woodcut cycle, the Apocalypse, was sold at auction for $34,000.  The high estimate was set at $18,000! It was sold as a proof impression before the German or Latin text edition of 1498. But with this woodcut, it did not have a watermark.

How do you know it was not a later impression without text? Simply, by knowing what the documentation says about this particular impression and examining the art.

In this example, the German reads, “Kräftig, schwarz, auch überschwärzt, ganzrandig bis auf das r. untere eck, Drachenhals- und Mühlsteinlücken beginnend”. Wz. 53 Reichsapfel.

In English the catalogue raisonne reads, “Strong (rich), dark, also overly dark, complete edges to right lower corner, dragon neck (throat) and millstone gaps beginning. Large Imperial Orb with Cross and Star watermark (M. 53) dating the paper from 1497-1520.”

With all due respect, there is some serious money being spent on some historic prints and, you deserve to know what you are buying.

Hundreds of hours have been spent translating Joseph Meder’s definitive research of Albrecht Durer’s print oeuvre into English, and we are proud to disseminate this information as well as share the importance of the artist’s work itself.

So, to answer the title question, why Durerpost products? We hope that the benefits are apparent.

The Scream – Real Estate or Real Mistake

Well, much has been reported since the pastel and oil version of The Scream by Edvard Munch was sold at auction this week. No matter how you feel about the final hammer price of $120 million (with buyers premium) or the piece of art itself, it is certainly one of the most iconic images ever committed to canvas by any artist anywhere.

As far as looking at it as a piece of real estate, the $120 million dollar price tag certainly becomes even more remarkable when you examine it in even more finite terms: at 38 x 23-1/4 inches or 744 square inches of canvas, it comes out to around $161 thousand per square inch (about the size of a stamp); or, for those of us who use the metric system, that is 1889 square centimeters which comes to almost $64 thousand per square centimeter (which is, well, 2-1/2 times smaller than a square inch)!

To be honest, it does not surprise me.In fact, I embrace it. You might not be able to set foot in this piece of property, but it is wall property none-the-less. No tenets. No triple net. No leases. No late rent. No property taxes. No broken leases. No build-outs. No permits. Nothing but real estate that you hang on a wall. It is anything but a mistake!

Although I realize that it is only a painting. I mean you cannot sleep with it (without hurting yourself), you cannot eat on it (with hurting it), you are not going to find the cure for cancer or any number of other maladies with it, you are not going to solve world peace, so the question begs to be asked. Why?

Well, the condensed answer is simple: It is all a matter of possession. Nothing more and nothing less. And if in fact the expression holds true and “possession is nine tenths of the law”, then for a collector, it is the epitome of acquisitions. This purchase of Munch’s, The Scream, is nothing less than eleven tenths of the law.

And for the collector, who battled it out via telephone bid with eight others for twelve historic minutes, this, of course, is the bottom line.

Why the Name Durerpost?

I just finished reading Dan Brown’s latest, The Lost Symbol, and aside from being enthralled with it message, I was also thrilled that he weaved Albrecht Durer’s, Melancholia 1, and his actual monogram into the theme of the book.

Aside from this partiality, he is right, you know. Somewhere along the line of our exponential technological growth we have lost something.

I have been told that there are children who actually cannot read the hands of a wall clock unless it is digital. To be honest, I do not know whether this is urban legend or not. Since I am not the breeding type I am unsure whether to believe this as fiction or fact; however, it would not surprise me.

Aside from the plot of the book, Mr. Brown comments that until the advent of our very recent technology, adepts thoughout the ages used at best, paper, quill, maybe an abacus and most importantly, their minds. Individuals like Newton, Bacon, Copernicus, Galileo, Cavendish, Bohr and even Einstein were able to extrapolate far beyond my comprehension of mathematics and deductive reasoning, theories and abstractions which we hold true today.

One such adept who died over a century before Galileo wrote his treatise on heliocentricity, Dialogo sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo, changing humankind’s view of our universe forever – was the first in Western art to be artist and publisher of his own work. His name was Albrecht Durer; and, he became the first to take his art to market and free himself from the lucrative but restricting shackles of commission work.

In essence, Albrecht Durer became the first graphic artist and changed the landscape of art for all those who followed in his artistic path. He changed the climate of art forever over five hundred years ago with his print oeuvre of woodcuts and intaglios.

That is how and why Durerpost inherited its name. Quite simply, he earned it.

And this, of course, is the bottom line.