The Mona Lisa Curse

The Mona Lisa Curse is a 2008 documentary directed by Mandy Chang starring Australian art critic Robert Hughes. The film was made by Oxford Film & Television and Channel 4. It won best arts documentary at the International Emmys in 2009.^[1][2] It also won a Grierson Award, the Rose d'Or, and a Banff World Television Award.^[3][4][5][6]

Synopsis

Robert Hughes argues that Mona Lisa has large influence over the art world because of its 1963 American tour, where the painting was treated like a celebrity on a publicity tour.^[7] The art was treated like a commodity.^[8] According to Hughes, this event marks the beginning of the degradation of the quality of modern art and the domination of the art market by celebrity artists and wealthy investors, which he describes as a curse.^[9] The documentary is polemical with Hughes describing artists such as Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and Richard Prince as celebrity businessmen, and criticizing museums such as The Louvre and The Guggenheim for marketing themselves as commercial brands.^[10][11] For Hughes, the financialization of the art market changed art's relationship to the world and undermined its critical purpose in contemporary culture.

The film has a 75 minute run time.^[12]

References

1. Robinson, James (2009-11-24). "Sir David Frost wins International Emmy in ceremony dominated by Brits". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
2. "International Emmy Awards 2009: The Winners". Digital Spy. 2009-11-24. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
3. "U.K. productions dominate 1st Banff TV awards night". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2009-06-08. p. 1. from the original on 2024-03-18. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
4. "November 2009 – International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences". Retrieved 2024-03-18.
5. Conlan, Tara (2009-11-04). "Norma Percy wins two Grierson awards". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
6. "49th Rose d'Or Award Winners announced". OTS.at. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
7. Schachter, Kenny (2018-11-08). "Kenny Schachter on What 'The Price of Everything' Gets Wrong About the Erotic Relationship Between Money and Art". Artnet News. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
8. Norman, Joshua (2012-08-07). "Art critic, historian Robert Hughes dies at 74 - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
9. Kelly, John (2018-04-02). "Perspective | Remembering that time in 1963 when the Mona Lisa went on a U.S. road trip". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
10. "Mona Lisa Curse? – ARTDEX". Retrieved 2024-03-18.
11. "The Mona Lisa Curse". The Telegraph. 2008-09-18. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
12. "The Mona Lisa Curse + Q&A | Film | The Guardian". www.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2024-03-18.

External links

• The Mona Lisa Curse at IMDb