Painting's Eternal Debate: From Leonardo to Kounellis
Costantino D'Orazio traces the perennial debate on painting's relevance, from the Renaissance 'Paragone delle Arti' where Leonardo asserted painting's superiority over sculpture, to Paul Delaroche's apocryphal 'painting is dead' upon seeing a daguerreotype. In the 1970s, conceptual art and performance seemed to eclipse painting, but Mimmo Paladino's 1979 work 'Silenzioso. Mi ritiro a dipingere un quadro' defiantly reasserted the medium. The 1980s saw an overproduction that fueled criticism, while the 1990s liberated artists from technical constraints, making painting one tool among many. D'Orazio notes that Jannis Kounellis insisted on being called 'a painter,' suggesting painting's unique weight in connecting to art history. Today, quality painting reappears on building facades and in young artists' shows, serving as a familiar thread in contemporary discourse.
Key facts
- Leonardo da Vinci argued for painting's superiority over sculpture in the 'Paragone delle Arti'.
- Paul Delaroche allegedly declared 'painting is dead' upon seeing a daguerreotype.
- In the 1970s, conceptual art and performance challenged painting's dominance.
- Mimmo Paladino's 1979 work 'Silenzioso. Mi ritiro a dipingere un quadro' reasserted painting.
- The 1980s saw an overproduction of painting that led to criticism.
- In the 1990s, artists gained freedom from technical rules, using painting as one tool among many.
- Jannis Kounellis insisted on being called 'a painter' until his death.
- Quality painting now appears on building facades and in exhibitions of young artists.
Entities
Artists
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Michelangelo
- Raffaello
- Paul Delaroche
- Mimmo Paladino
- Jannis Kounellis
- Costantino D'Orazio
- Eugenia Vanni
- Elisa Montessori
- Alfonso Leto
- Filippo La Vaccara
- Paola Capata
- Francesco De Grandi
- Antonio Grulli
- Antonio Menon
Institutions
- Artribune Magazine
Locations
- Roma
- Italia