Results tagged “A Coffin for Dimitrios” from Real Clear Arts

You don't often get to write in newspapers or magazines about works of art that have been in collections for decades -- after all, what's the news value?

That's one reason I love the Saturday column in The Wall Street Journal called "Masterpiece: Anatomy of a Classic." Every week someone describes and details what makes a work worthy of the distinction. Today, I had one about the Alexander sarcophagus in Instanbul's archeological museum; here's the link. (There's one error: the WSJ picture is mis-captioned: that's a side panel, showing the Battle of Gazza, not Alexander at the battle of Issus -- illustrated in the picture here.) 

I've written a handful of these pieces, and they're a joy. My favorite is "Staring Durer in the Face," about his 1500 self-portrait as Christ. (If that's behind the pay wall, it's also posted on my website here.)

These pieces are not just about visual art. Nicely, the WSJ takes a broader view. In recent weeks, the column has examined Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago, Eric Ambler's "A Coffin For Dimitrios,"  and the Eiffel Tower. There've been films, buildings, and musical works, too.

It's always worth a look, even if you don't agree with the choices.