International

"What's All the Fuss about Dossi?"
Italy, Ferrara

Imagination does not compensate for lack of skill. No matter how many
art historians are getting excited about Dosso Dossi's originality and
mystical vision many of the paintings in the Ferrara exhibition are
quite simply, bad. My favourite awful picture was Sapiente
dell'antichita con libro (Ancient Scholar with Book) dated to c.
1520-22. A young man with a repugnant gonflated physique in a highly
contrived pose supposedly contemplates the wisdom of the ancients. The
foreshortening is woeful and the expression moronic. No doubt some
bright spark will find a link to Rodin's 'The Thinker' and make a big
ado about nothing.
The Italians have a discreet way of describing an artist like Dossi, he
is "un autore problematico". This arises from wondering if a painting as
bad as the Scholar could be blamed on a pupil or follower. It is in fact
probably painted by il maestro himself. Not the product of  the artist
on a bad day, it is simply typical of Dossi any day.
An artist that in his prime was relegated to decorating the borders of a
room filled with true masterpieces by Titian and Bellini artists he
could never share equal status with, Dossi is now
being touted as a rediscovered genius with this exhibition at Ferrara. I
ask you, does he deserve it?

Rachel Le Goff

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