Open to All! The Roundup Revamped, the Notre Dame Controversy Continues, and a Dürer Print Found at a Dumpster Site
Open to All! The Roundup Revamped, the Notre Dame Controversy Continues, and a Dürer Print Found at a Dumpster Site
The latest news in art, archaeology, culture and more.
The Crossroads Roundup gets a revamp:
Welcome, one and all, to the latest edition of the Crossroads Roundup! As most of you know by now, the Gazette’s paid tier has undergone a transformation. Patrons now receive weekly, exclusive essays that follow monthly themes. This month covers the life of Marie Antoinette, and for the month of October, we’ll explore the Salem Witch Trials.
I wanted to offer patrons something they cannot get anywhere else: in-depth series that constitute a sort of “mini-book” on each special topic. Paid subscribers also have access to the entire publication archives, including essays older than six months.
If you enjoy reading the Gazette and want to support my work, I would be eternally grateful if you joined our patron community:
While I am so excited about this change, I missed doing the Roundups and keeping up with the world of archaeological discoveries, museum dramas, art auctions, and more. Therefore, I have decided to make the Crossroads Roundup freely available to all readers as a bi-monthly post. (I may do it more often if time allows, but for now, this feels like the right place to start.) Never fear—the regular essays and the Audio Book Club will continue as usual.
And now, for the news!
Plans move forward to replace some of Notre-Dame’s windows…
My patrons will recall the uproar this past winter over Notre-Dame’s windows. If you’re just hearing about this now, here is a quick recap of what happened:
On December 8th, 2023, President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would invite contemporary artists to submit proposals for new window designs to replace six of the seven on the cathedral’s south aisle. These 19th-century windows, designed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, will be moved to a new Musée de l’Œuvre in the Hôtel-Dieu. The forthcoming museum will be devoted to preserving the history of the Notre-Dame fire and its renovations.
The decision is controversial because these six windows were not damaged in the 2019 fire. Macron’s announcement inspired major backlash—within two days of the news going public, the online art magazine La Tribune de l’Art started an online petition that has since received nearly 224,000 signatures. This summer, France’s National Commission for Heritage and Architecture (CNPA) unanimously rejected the project. It’s possible that the replacement of the windows would be in violation of the 1964 Venice Charter, which states that “items of sculpture, painting or decoration which form an integral part of a monument may only be removed if this is the sole means of ensuring their preservation.”
But the window replacements will be moving forward. This month, the French Ministry of Culture announced the eight finalists whose applications made it to the second round; you can find the complete list here. I don’t blame the artists—if I had a magnificent glass studio, I would have tossed my hat in the ring as well.
My general belief is that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Seeing that these windows don’t actually need to be replaced, this feels like an attempt to put a 21st-century stamp on a historic building just for the sake of it. But what do you think—do you feel differently? Are you excited about the new designs? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Auction news: Vincent van Gogh and Frank Lloyd Wright.
Vincent van Gogh’s Les canots amarrés (Moored Boats) is heading for auction on September 26th for the first time in over 30 years. The painting is expected to sell for HKD $230 million–HKD $380 million ($30 to $50 million USD) at Christie’s Hong Kong. Van Gogh painted this piece in Asnières during the final years of his life (he died in 1890). Asnières, now Asnières-sur-Seine, is a suburb of Paris that lies on the banks of the Seine; during the late 19th century, it was a popular place for Parisians to go boating. The artist painted several works in Asnières, including Bridges Across the Seine at Asnières and Restaurant de la Sirène, Asnières.
In other news, Frank Lloyd Wright’s very first commission as an independent architect, known as the Winslow House, is for sale. With an asking price of $1,985,000, the 5 bedroom/3 bathroom house is located in River Forest, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago).
Before he became one of the most famous architects in the United States, Wright worked for the architectural firm Adler & Sullivan—though he was secretly designing houses for private clients on the side. This was in violation of his contract with Adler & Sullivan, and when his bosses found out, Wright was forced to leave. Luckily, this compelled Wright to become fully independent, leading him to develop his own distinct style.
As I noted above, the house that Wright designed for Edith and William Winslow at the young age of 26 was his first commission after going independent. The Winslow House was also Wright’s first Prairie-Style design; his Prairie-Style homes were inspired by the flatness of the Midwestern landscape and designed to blend harmoniously with their surrounding ecosystems.
A few archaeological discoveries that caught my eye…
Archaeologists found a 3,000-year-old military fort in Tell Al-Abqain, Egypt. The fort dates to the New Kingdom; it was used by the ancient Egyptians to defend against attacks from Libyan tribes. The site includes military barracks, storage rooms, and a treasure trove of artifacts—among them, a bronze sword featuring a cartouche of Ramesses II.
A man in Klotzow, Germany was renovating his home when he stumbled upon a 12th-century bildstein, or picture stone. Researchers believe that the figure carved on its surface represents Otto of Bamberg, a German missionary who converted much of medieval Pomerania’s population.
Archaeologists from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Archaeology and the University of Würzburg have conducted a project to restore the original colors of the Temple of Edfu, which was dedicated to the god Horus. Construction of the temple began under Ptolemy III Euergetes (246 to 222 BC) and was completed in 57 BC.
And finally, an 11-year-old boy found a mysterious print at a dumpster site 13 years ago…
Thirteen years ago, eleven-year-old Mat Winter from Cranbrook, Kent was given an intricate print at a local dumpster—moments before the woman who owned the piece intended to throw it away. As a child, he was simply drawn to the print’s beauty, and wouldn’t recognize its value until he became an adult:
I’ve had an eye for antiques since I was 10 years old. I used to go to the local rubbish tip to see what I could find. I discovered some great stuff. One day a lady had some rubbish in her car including the print. I thought it looked interesting and asked if I could have it. She was more than happy to give it to me because she wanted it to go to someone rather than just throwing it away. I was 11 at the time and very happy she let me take it.
It’s been tucked away at home with all my other antique finds for the last 13 years. Recently, I decided to get it checked out to see if it was as special as it looked. I was amazed to find out it was.
He turned the print over to Jim Spencer, the Director of Rare Book Auctions at Hansons. Spencer was shocked to discover that in the young man’s possession was a print by Northern Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer. Knight, Death and the Devil (1513) sold for £33,390 ($44,569.97) at auction on September 18th.
Knight, Death and the Devil is one of Dürer’s three Meisterstiche, or master engravings—the group includes Melancholia I (1514) and St. Jerome (1514). While the prints are not part of a formal series, they represent “the three kinds of virtue in medieval scholasticism—theological, intellectual, and moral.” In mint condition, a print of Knight, Death and the Devil could command upwards of £200,000.
Meanwhile, my prayers go out to the woman who unknowingly gave away a Dürer. She will remain in my thoughts.
What do you think of FLW’s Winslow House?
It’s outrageous to see compromised the integrity of a building so historical important and so immensely beautiful. The plan is simply ridiculous