Did Michelangelo paint Mona Lisa or The Village Voice’ worst art mistake

Reading the 44th edition of my favorite (and the largest American weekly) newspaper The Village Voice and especially the Art section I just couldn’t believe my eyes. I read it few times… It was still the same…

Christian Viveros-Faune’s article criticizing the new Edward Munch exhibition in MoMa is just as pretentious as his name. The guy is concentrating on the pastel version of Munch’s masterpiece “The Scream”, basically trying to say that the expo is badly curated, overrated and only driven by money-making. Ok, I could swallow that. Moreover, Viveros-Faune is collating the Mona Lisa’s visit to MoMa to “Brangelina(‘s arriving) at the Oscars”. That’s kind of cheesy, but yeah, because of the SEO (people browse that shit) I can swallow that too… But saying that Mona Lisa is Michelangelo’s canvas… COME ON! You mistaken the painter of the world’s most famous piece of art and you’re bitching about Munch’s exhibition?! SERIOUSLY?

I can’t be sure that this is not some marketing trick – an obvious and as rough as hewn with a dull chisel mistake to drive some more traffic. But… I don’t see the point of that as in the online version of the article it’s already fixed. But still, in the paper version it seems like Munch’s creature is screaming from horror (and both Michelangelo and Da Vinci are turning in their graves).

Here is the proof, read it yourself.

I know that mistakes happen – I’ve made quite a few myself – sometimes I had the editors messing up with my articles and making mistakes, instead of fixing them, but guys this is too rough to pass.

By the way, I went to see Munch’s exhibition in MoMa two days ago and I liked it. Yes, they’re not showing the original 1893 version (Oil, tempera, and pastel on cardboard currently in the National Gallery of Oslo, Norway) of “The Scream” – instead of that you’re gonna see the pastel one created two years later… but it’s not such a big deal. Actually I found the exposition very well curated with the other works of the Norwegian expressionist in the room (while Mr. Viveros-Faune is complaining about “the 11 mostly minor works by the artist inside MOMA’s dark, battleship-gray galleries”).

Mr. Art Critic, do you know how many artists and art lovers on the world are dreaming to see Munch’s iconic work live? Either one of the four versions. And I’m quite sure that all of them know who painted La Gioconda.

You can keep bitching with your pretentious phrases and Hollywood parallels but next time I see your name over an article somewhere I’m gonna just pass it with laughter. Seriously, you’ll do much better job as a gossip journalist. Think about it.