Antonio Donghi's portrait and the unchanging essence of art
In a philosophical essay published on rivistasegno.eu, the author argues that while the art world evolves daily—through market shifts, new exhibition modes, and social media promotion—the essence of art remains unchanged: communication. The piece distinguishes between art's essence (communication) and its history (changing forms, materials, and tools). It critiques the conflation of art with decoration and warns against market-driven value attribution. The article concludes with a 1940 quote by Luigi Bartolini on Antonio Donghi's portrait, praising Donghi's realism as surpassing photography and his subtle satirical spirit.
Key facts
- The author defines art's essence as communication, unchanged for 20 years.
- Art history includes changing materials like video, digital, and AI.
- The author distinguishes art from decoration, calling decoration a possible consequence but not essence.
- Market risks shifting value attribution from the artwork to consensus.
- The article features a portrait by Antonio Donghi on its cover.
- Luigi Bartolini in 1940 described Donghi's realism as surpassing photography.
- Bartolini noted Donghi's satirical and diabolical spirit in painting.
- The essay was published on rivistasegno.eu.
Entities
Artists
- Antonio Donghi
- Luigi Bartolini
Institutions
- rivistasegno.eu