"The Art of Murder" & "Patricia Cornwell and Walter Sickert: A Primer"

[j.r-ahde]

Hello Stephen!

I agree with you.

Then; would Sickert have had a nerve to show clues to him (had he ever committed a murder!) for thousands of people in public in a painting?!

All the best
Jukka

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

Yesterday I saw a documentary about JtR on one of the channels of Finnish television.

One flaw on mrs. Cornwell's theory appeared;

she told mr. Sickert to be interested about ugly girls.

The beauty is in the eye of the viewer, yes, but;

Polly Nicholls looks pretty ordinary in the morgue photo, right. But the contemporary people have told her to look 10-15 years younger than she really was.

Annie Chapman doesn't look pretty on the morgue photo. But not really bad-looking either.

And Liz; despite being in her forties, she has still Pretty Swedish features! (Eller vad tänker ni, svenska medlemmar?! )

Catherine Eddowes, despite being cut to the face, has rather good-looking face structure!

Then... MJK. All we have, is somewhat contradictionary contemporary illustrations. But if we rely on the people knowing MJK, she wasn't bad-looking either.

So, in this aspect mrs. Cornwell hit her axe to the rock (I guess you know, what this Finnish saying means! )

All the best
Jukka

[Paddy Goose]

. He used to tell a story of a landlady who had told him of a lodger, she suspected of being the ripper. It was probably a tall tale he told for effect . Osbert Sitwell, a friend of his, recounts this story in detail in the introduction to a collection of Sickert's writings. He adored Sickert and really brings him alive.
I can quote Sitwell's account if anyone is interested.
Miss Marple

Yes Miss Marple I would like to hear it at your convenience.

Paddy

[Pearberr]

Patricia Cornwell is full of S***. In my belief, we as ripperologists of all levels should be trying to get Jack the Ripper convicted in an English Court of law. however, mrs.Cornwell has managed to come up with mere speculation. It is the same problem with many suspects in the ripper murders, and will continue to be. However, I want to give the award for biggest waste of money ever to "Portrait of a Killer!" Congratulations on beating the Democratic Primaries in getting this award!

[Christine]

The grand irony of Ms. Cornwall is this...

Both she and Walter Sickert are talented and creative artists.
Both she and Walter Sickert specialize in macabre subject matter.
Both she and Walter Sickert claimed that their art gave them special insight into the Ripper matter.
Both she and Walter Sickert claimed to have figured out who Jack the Ripper really was.

She's indicted herself as being Jack the Ripper.

And in the ultimate irony, her own conclusion proves her techniques are worthless.

[Paddy Goose]

Dear Christine and Pearbear,

I did not mean to start an argument on my debut here. In fact, only wanted to hear the interesting story miss marple had to tell.

miss marple, I hope I did not quote you out of context - A Sound Bite. I have read your posts on this and understand you completely.

Again,

Paddy

[Doctor X]

And in the ultimate irony, her own conclusion proves her techniques are worthless.

Has she accounted for her whereabouts during the Fall of 1888?

--J.D.

[Christine]

Has she accounted for her whereabouts during the Fall of 1888?

--J.D.

There's good reason to believe she was in France.

[Doctor X]

--J.D.

[Glenn Lauritz Andersson]

Hello Jukka,

One flaw on mrs. Cornwell's theory appeared.

Only ONE?

Annie Chapman doesn't look pretty on the morgue photo. But not really bad-looking either..

Oh yes she does. With all respect to the deceased, but she was definitely not a beauty. Some would even say she looks rather masculine - and that goes for the photograph with her husband as well.

All the best

[Dan Norder]

In my belief, we as ripperologists of all levels should be trying to get Jack the Ripper convicted in an English Court of law.

Unless he's till alive that's an impossible goal. Know anyone 135+ years old who would be a likely suspect?

There's good reason to believe she was in France.

Good one.

[Sam Flynn]

Some would even say she looks rather masculine - and that goes for the photograph with her husband as well.

She doesn't look too bad in her younger days, Glenn. Bless her.

[Paddy Goose]

Said Abberline never spoke of the case again. Was his Pall Mall interview a hoax? Did I miss something?

Paddy

[truebluedub]

She probably missed it (the Abberline interviews)

Kind regards
Chris

[BTCG]

"Unnoticed and unmentioned by the eye of Cornwell, these works show the continuing influence of Degas (and of early Cezanne paintings such as The Murder and The Abduction as well). In a painting alternatively called Interior and The Rape, Degas painted a giant menacing man barring the door of a small room while a woman sits cowering on the other side of the room. This is one of Degas' strongest paintings, as anyone who has seen it in Philadelphia or on tour will know. The suitcase in the middle of the picture glooms with an unearthly light. You wonder why Cornwell doesn't accuse Degas or Cezanne of being the Ripper. The reason is simple. These artists are as invulnerable to Cornwell's investigations as Cornwell is invulnerable to my criticism. Poor Walter Sickert is not."

Joseph Phelan, November 2002.

~~~

The Impressionists broke up after 1886, and Degas began keeping more and more to himself, concentrating, along with his painting, on his photography and sculpture. He began favoring pastels over oils, mixing them with different media and experimenting with a variety of techniques, and it was now, curiously enough, that his work began to show distinctly Impressionist qualities. And, even more curiously, these beautiful, luminous works – many of which show nude women in intimate moments, bathing, combing their hair, etc., and are considered by some modern art critics as proof of Degas's misogynist outlook - now found acceptance with the public.

In 1894, a French Army Officer of Jewish descent, Alfred Dreyfuss, was falsely accused of treason, and this caused a great uproar in French Society. Degas took the part of the Anti-Dreyfuss crowd and revealed himself to be rabidly antisemitic. Since he couldn't do anything in halves, he topped his unsavory behavior by breaking off contacts with all Jews – including his childhood friends, the Halevys, and his long-time art colleagues, Renoir and Cezanne.

~~~

I'm surprised that none of you caught this, but Degas, in that image, managed to paint the worlds first laptop[ computer (by the lamp). The rag on it, no doubt, was the first screen cleaning tool.

The man truly was a visionary.