artworks1

My 2007 resolution was more of a task than a change of my ways, actions, to be a better person or to give more money to charity, save, whatever I always
promise. This year I wanted to achieve something outside of the norm. I write books, I write movies, I work in the technology side of the stock market, living in
Manhattan as I travel the world and sponsor Casa Hogar orphans. So what did I choose? I decided to see 100 of the world's finest artworks for this year, I made a
list and I started 6th January at the Whitney Museum...

1. Nighthawks by Edward Hopper seen 1/6/2007 at the
Whitney. Hopper has always been a favorite of mine.
Having spent most of my life in large cities his red brick
rooftop scenes, particularly Room in Brooklyn take me
into his paintings and I feel as if I am, oddly home.
Nighthawks is not my favorite but a classic, so much
so it has been parodied a lot. I was lucky enough to not
only see it but also the studies Hopper completed as part
of this work, deciding upon different looks for each of
the component parts.

2. Cupid and Psyche by Antonia Canova
seen 1/14/2007 at the Met. If any one
thing can be said about my favorite
artworks it will be that I am a fan of
realism. Without being disrespectful to all
the other forms and their proponents
installation art, video art, photographia, and
most modern art forms do not interest me.
My own view of the human form and
condition is one of realism, albeit cynical
realism based on natural emotion, and I
love art that shows man in his many
forms, be it pathetic, heroic or elevated to
the level of Gods. In marble sculture, the
Italians, Greeks and Romans bring to me a
level of perfection that I oft use as a
yardstick for beauty in my characters,
with only the pristine beauties being liked
to Adonis, Apollo and Cupid.

3. Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emmanuel
Leutz seen 1/14/2007 at the Met. As a painting I
believe this is flawed. On close examination the
perspective of the faces are all askew and this was the
first thing I noticed, before the size, before the sheer
magnitude of the idea of a revolutionary leader
drammatically crossing all obstacles, metaphorically
and really, to gain freedom for his people.

4. Latonia and her children by William Rinehart seen
1/14/2007 at the Met. Perfection and the perfection of
motherhood is shown here in one of my favorite
scultures. The serene nature of the relaxation of the
children, the loving protection of Latonia make this a
true example of my thought that the kind of sculture I
like fulfills my ideals.

5. Cornfield with Cypress by Vincent Van
Gogh
seen 1/14/2007 at the Met. Given my own
preference towards realism it is strange
but I find this to be a wonderful landscape,
alive, the sky and grass and trees pulled
and shaped by the wind. In this instance.
Surely impressionist but to me this speaks
thousands of words more than a Turner or
a Passaro.

6. Waterlillies by Claude Monet
seen 1/14/2007 at the Met. I class this as one of my
top 100 because of its sheer weight. And by that I
mean the way in which these gargantuan works,
mostly the same, if you have seen one you have seen
them all, are instilled into most people's minds as
being a great work. Me, also, being guilt as charged
in this respect.

7. George Washington by Gilbert Stuart seen 1/14/2007 at
the Met. A portrait that shows the noble nature of an
ordinary man. It is not a Velaquez or Rembrandt, with the
rich buying beauty, it captures an idealist and a leader.