Art That Was Never Finished

[@savecharlie]

"Art is never finished, only abandoned." - Leonardo da Vinci

[@fran6b]

Leonardo was a real unfinisher!

[@agustinvenegas5238]

A teacher at my architecture school told me that once, I had no clue she was quoting someone else

[@savecharlie]

@@agustinvenegas5238 I looked it up and the attribution is unverified. Still good advice.

[@markrushtongallery]

Software, too.

[@agustinvenegas5238]

@@markrushtongallery I've come to realise it applies to most projects, you could be endlessly tinkering with the sampling for your paper, code for your program or the writing for your book and the only reason any project ever gets finished is deadlines

[@SalamanderMagic]

Their unfinished art: heart wrenching reminder of mortality, the subject literally died My unfinished art: I gave up when I got to the hands

[@warriorcatskid003]

I have like five half painted on canvases scattered across my room and it’s because I have no attention span

[@bruhdestroyer3051]

just draw stumps in a cartoony style, boom.

[@shelovesweetcron]

Other eye for me lol

[@babybluearts7416]

What a mood

[@elvingearmasterirma7241]

If it makes you feel better There are tons of unfinished works by artists in the past we revere who just. Gave up. Like we did.

[@steepertree]

"Everyone leaves unfinished business. That's what dying is." Amos Burton, The Expanse

[@laulev738]

Stephen Persing I love the books and the tv series!

[@LogoBallers]

My great great great great grandparent. A cookie. not the famous one tho

[@stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369]

Ooh forgot that quote, great show/book

[@thebeejabides9282]

Buddhas: laughs in Enlightenment

[@observingcat9049]

That’s not what dying is

[@anuel3780]

why did this video not end abruptly that would've been great

[@Bee-nw6df]

There’s something delightfully petty & relatable about the British refusing to pose for a portrait memorializing their defeat u_u

[@navajose200]

Bee +

[@phishfullofasha]

As a Brit myself, I'd definitely do the same

[@bibobeuba]

I think the German delegation should have refused as well when a portrait memorializing the Treaty of Versailles was done.

[@howtubeable]

No, it was a stupid concept. It's crass and arrogant to ask defeated people to pose with you for a victory portrait.

[@FreeManFreeThought]

@@bibobeuba except that photography existed by 1919, so the point really was moot.

[@TheCanvasArtHistory]

I love the originality of this video's topic (and I also love John's refreshing humour). Unfinished paintings are indeed humanizing. I feel like it's easy to deify artists when you're not an artist yourself. I look at, for example, the Sistine Chapel ceiling and I really feel like Michelangelo isn't human; he's more of an idea, or the force behind the artwork. Unfinished artworks are really humanizing; making idealized artists human. Also, it's exciting to see a Kerry James Marshal painting show up! I published my own video on Marshall just before yesterday! What an amazing artist!

[@navajose200]

The Canvas +

[@artist_b.]

🙏❤️❣️

[@josquinelburg74]

I’m an artist but I still think Michelangelo is divine, including for instance his unfinished marble sculptures of the ‘Slaves’/‘Prisoners’!

[@sanakris22]

Michael Angelo didn’t want to paint the Sistine chapel, he saw himself more as a sculptor. And it caused him major pain in his arms. For his depictions of hell he used his “favorite” bishops and such for reference on the faces.

[@Lytton333]

Casuistry.. pure postmodern psychobabble tripe. Classical works are unfinished because artists didn't have the time or opportunity to finish them. As if finished work isn't 'humanizing'. Vermeer (for example) finished his work, is 'humanizing', but one can't imagine him striding around Mount Olympus flexing his biceps. Same for Rembrandt, or Velazquez.. or dozens of others. Michelangelo laid on his back for months with paint dripping on to his face, suffering , no doubt, cramp and lumbago as a result. He had a career shaping commission he had to finish and also wanted to get paid. He was also a believer. He just worked very hard and was very determined to finish it. It took much planning, it wasn't dashed off in a bout of inspiration. Finishing something takes application , work and diligence. It takes a long term commitment, which is why we have the great achievements of western civilisation in the first place, and why the child-like modernists rejected it so much (hence why we have no great artistic achievements now and why this numpty of a presenter tries to wrap yet another dubious alchemical air around the notion of being lazy.

[@Mu51kM4n]

Unfinished art seems to reflect reality in that we as humans are never finished... aging, learning, evolving... to the moment we die and the picture of who or what we are at our moment of death could be seen as unfinished

[@mk_master4031]

Beautifully true

[@blockyblender7924]

Presidents: Hey, paint me Artists: Hold my paper

[@sefrautiq]

What a time to be alive

[@ndescruzur4378]

haha that was funny

[@KunoichiN3rd]

My aunt was an artist, and one of my favorite portraits she did was the one she was working on when she passed away. She loved painting children, especially children from the school/care facility where she taught. Her last painting was going to be a close-up of a girl playing with something, but all that was done was a rough outline of the face and hands with the beginnings of the background colors mixed in. Many of my aunt's students had serious disabilities and often did not live into their adulthood. It's a beautiful and sobering piece of art, and it reminds me that in my aunt's passing, she was reunited with several of her students she had to see die before her.

[@ratstyle5468]

Im sorry. I hope she's painting in heaven.

[@saveriannathan1415]

Bless your aunt

[@jccuellar1611]

This is beautiful but so sorrowful. I enjoyed reading this comment its very heartwarming. Thank you for sharing this and condolences for your lost.

[@rawjawbone]

I think this was mentioned before, but Keith Haring's last piece, the one he intentionally left unfinished to symbolize the destructiveness of the disease that was killing him, felt so much more powerful a statement.

[@marniegoeswest]

Richard Becker I was thinking the same thing! It’s homophobic that they left him out of the video

[@Jimmy_Johns]

Miles Wingett oh come on. Homophobic, really? I’m gay and I think you’re just looking for problems where there are none. These guys are super LGBT supporters. Maybe it just skipped their research. Stop being so triggered about everything, jeez.

[@mount0lympus]

I don't see the homophobia

[@mount0lympus]

is that the tryptic?

[@yesthisisshi]

yeah, I was surprised that this work wasn't mentioned, as it is arguably the most famous of this kind of work. it probably has been used in videos before, but this would be a great standalone, introduction video otherwise, and I think it was worth mentioning

[@dadisproud]

How to be a president 101. 1.hold a paper

[@precioussketches1008]

😂😂😂😂😂LMAO

[@iwillsalt2020]

@@precioussketches1008 :cryinglaughing: :cryinglaughing: :cryinglaughing: :cryinglaughing: :cryinglaughing: LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@stefanalexanderlungu1503]

@@iwillsalt2020 are you okay

[@flux202]

How to be a great interesting president: stand in a garden.

[@thegiftofgabby5581]

Thanks, Dad

[@catherinepapafilippou2881]

I love how beautifully explored the notion of unfinished is in this video. Honestly, my way of looking at the art and the world has shifted drastically, ever since i discovered this channel. I feel like I've learned to look at art not just as a raw idea in and of itself, but as if I'm questioning and interpreting the world through the lens of beauty.

[@lorenabpv]

you know, i really appreciate John's approach to stuff he finds interesting. i know it's like his "thing", so not surprising, but still, i like how he seems to find something to pay longer attention to and look a bit deeper. i like to think that, through the years, it has inspired me to look deeper at things that catch my attention, however fleeting they are at the moment. on another note, this episode was hilarious and i love it :)

[@mandymouse1879]

He’s so passionate and pensive about this subject. I’m in the middle of his US History series on Crash Course and he gets serious and moved by topics like slavery and Native American treatment, but this was especially cool because you can see how much it means to him personally. Love it.

[@lorenabpv]

@@mandymouse1879 i'm not crash course's target audience (they started posting after i had already graduated) and have only watched a few episodes randomly, but good to know! gonna add to my quarantine watchlist

[@Swanky11]

There is so much charm to unfinished pieces, I almost like them better sometimes

[@JK-bh6xk]

I've got an unfinished painting of a portrait of my grandma when she was young. It bothers me every time I look at it; as if I've abandoned her. Now I don't feel so bad.

[@andersa222]

Lmao

[@iwillsalt2020]

@@andersa222 HAHAHAHAHA IM RELEVANT BECAUSE I PUT LMAO EVERYWHERR LOL ROFL KEANI REEVES BIG CHUNGUS REDDIT R/WOOSH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA IM FUNNY

[@Tik1800]

I Will Salt you’re just being a dick for no reason

[@frosteryoutube1551]

@@iwillsalt2020 haha look guys, he made fun of reddit. now laugh

[@iwillsalt2020]

@@frosteryoutube1551 Oooh you have no arguments? "HAHAH I MADE A REDDIT POST LAUGH"

[@patrickburell7139]

John Green talking about art is always refreshing.

[@muraduki200]

This video actually healed me from me being hard at myself as an artist in doing so I have let go my guilt. This content does a lot, thanks.

[@ashleya3731]

That unfinished Roosevelt painting is pretty amazing with its backstory

[@DoloresJNurss]

I'll just bet that Michaelangelo marked "The Pieta" as "unfinished" as a testament of faith, that the life of Christ didn't end with His death. Very clever of him!

[@17smadonna20]

yessssss :)

[@tessies1754]

This has become one of my favorite Art Assignment episodes! John’s insights are very provocative and interesting. It is good to see artists’ unfinished paintings to be reminded of their humanity and place in time, just like us, as well as their process of creating.

[@lacylamere9717]

I love how John Green just owns his disheveled dad look

[@cassandralyris4918]

I legitimately want some of these as prints. There's something about them.

[@vintagetears2416]

I actually like the unfinished paintings because you can kind off see how the artist tackled their paintings.

[@ladywhyasker]

'Art is never finished, only abandoned.' I can't believe that they didn't cite this quote attributed to Leonardo da Vinci!

[@XxPureKhaosxX]

Never been too much of an art person but I love this channel

[@alexclimbs9]

I really love Keith Haring’s final work, an intentionally unfinished printing, symbolising all the amazing art we still could’ve gotten if he hadn’t died so young. It really gets me everytime i see it

[@misscurls101]

Sometimes I watch an Art assignment video and feel like it's placed a little seed of an idea in me somewhere. I don't know when it will sprout, but I have a feeling that it will. This is one of those videos

[@ArteDiRita]

Thank you for this overview on unfinished art. I deeply loved it and made me think about the meaning of a piece of art being 'finished'. It is incredible how sometimes unfinished art is more powerful and actually more complete than finished ones. Lot of food for thoughts!

[@ninja1676]

With the paintings not being finish you can still imagine if it was. Giving a whole new way of looking at the missing parts of a whole.

[@kenster8270]

This made me think of La Sagrada Familia - under construction, perennially.

[@linus2812]

True, same thing with the Dome of Cologne (Kölner Dom)

[@oliviaworland9708]

I love this episode! So many works of art are left unfinished and I feel like they are never talked about in art history despite they beauty that they so often hold. I’m also really happy John did an episode!

[@shandya]

The unfinished watercolor looks complete to me

[@anonymoussenpai4325]

No. It doesn't have paper.

[@rikname3672]

I just loved that exhibition! I went there by mistake the one time I have been to NY and I felt so lucky. In particular I loved an unfinished Mondrian that looked exactly like his complete works, and that was forbidden to photograph.

[@mrhyde6834]

“Art that was never finished” My entire sketchbook

[@sacdigitaldesignweb]

Unfinished art also gives more inspirations to later artists because it’s more intuitive and genuine, and reveals deeper and richer contexts.

[@cove81]

What a great new way to look at art. Thank you for the video. I need to start researching unfinished artworks, I find them amazing.

[@weirdral]

This was honestly very cathartic to listen to. John always has a great voice to listen to, but the thought of being unfinished is haunting and I loved this.

[@deleted4437]

I always find something fascinating in those unfinished paintings. They have more to say.

[@taylorlc]

I am an artist and I was working on a portrait of my grandfather for a few years, when my grandmother, his wife, passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly. I took a break from my painting for a time to help my family. Not long after, my grandfather passed away as well and although a year later, I have returned to painting, I have not been able to bring myself to work on his portrait. It sits, in my closet, unfinished. I have almost painted over it several times but even that seems like too much. Losing both of them has been so hard as I was very close to them and they always encouraged my growth as an artist. I showed my grandmother the unfinished painting before she passed and she cried. She loved it.

[@metonymyc]

John: "does something have to look finished to be completed? me: talk about the keith haring painting talk about the keith haring painting talk about the keith haring painting ...and then hE DIDN'T

[@artist_b.]

🙏

[@Calicido]

Well, as John didnt, can you share with us?

[@MrAliFranca]

Curious too talk about it please!

[@fall_outboy9427]

Keith Haring intentionally left a painting unfinished to make a political and artistic statement, as he terminally had AIDs I believe. Please Google it because it is absolutely fascinating. OP probably will explain it much better.

[@ellasegall2509]

Keith Haring's "Unfinished Painting", which is finished but not at the same time, ALWAYS gets me. The way the paint drips, like the artist WANTS to continue...augh

[@Sunshine-zm1fx]

Thank you SO MUCH for highlighting the work of Alice Neel. She is one of my very favorite artists of all time, and I always try to see her work in museums whenever possible. Also, John Green is a fantastic host and I hope to see more of him discussing art history!

[@dumoulin11]

Unfinished artworks are also an important pedagogical tool when teaching someone painting techniques. The student can see the different stages of construction of a painting in one glance.

[@jasmeenmalhotra2225]

I know it's not his day job, but I really love hearing John talk about art. Just goes to show that sometimes the outsider's perspective can be just, as if not more, valuable than the art insider's.

[@gregorymorrone7966]

I was so excited to visit “David” in Florence back in 1975 on my 16th birthday. But I ended up being blown away by “The Prisoners”.

[@elletuppen4844]

Thank you for this brilliant talk on a topic that deserves this level of respect. Pliny the Elder’s quote about ‘the artists actual thoughts being visible’ has so resonated for me since I fell in love with the first unfinished Watteau I saw as a child. As to Michelangelo’s Slaves ~ apart from all the grand significance you describe here, after looking at them in books for years and then seeing them a number of times in Florence, I feel the artist like so many masters felt he /she could trust their creation with our imaginations which I feel gives such great works an extra dimension beyond their physical presence.

[@imroztowhid1284]

they are/were so brilliant that even their unfinished arts are Art!

[@kielyschuck2514]

So glad that you talked about Michelangelo’s Prisoners, John - they are sculptures that are incredibly close to my heart. They are currently displayed in the Accademia Gallery in Florence, where they line the hallway leading to his masterpiece The David, making the contrast between Finished and Unfinished even more evident. I’ve always thought of the Prisoners as beautiful and complete works in and of themselves, and as almost more beautiful than they would have been had they been finished. They evoke a strong sense of Michelangelo‘s own belief that he “saw the angel in the marble and just had to set it free.” Grazie mille, John ✨

[@lizhasasthma]

I'm surprised that Keith Haring's "Unfinished Painting" wasn't mentioned. While it's technically "done" (as in Haring displayed it as a finished painting), he only covered part of the canvas as a way of representing how his life was going to be cut short due to AIDS, and he did die only a couple of months after it was finished.

[@phosphenevision]

Linda Televangelista that was the first thing i thought when i saw the title, it’s pride month after all

[@Fr00ter]

That's clearly not the topic here

[@hiqwertyhi]

i was kinda caught off guard hearing sarah's voice at the end instead of "hank, i'll see you on friday"

[@howtubeable]

Yeah, it's almost as if they were all related to each other....Oh, wait. Isn't that nepotism? Isn't nepotism morally wrong? Are the Greens saccharine-sweet cancer on American society?

[@twiseart]

Howard Wiggins bro are you okay?

[@MrSomeDonkus]

I've always liked sketches alot more than any "finished" art works. You see the artist for who they really are in sketches rather than what they want to be.

[@jerma953]

"unfinished art" you mean like, all my art?

[@Mcwsmurf1]

Relatable

[@gjk-arts5855]

ema lajdová and future art qwq

[@amr_12_]

My art too

[@runima]

a good time to remember all the artists who have died during the coronavirus pandemic leaving behind not only unfinished art, but unfinished lives. Solidarity and love to all their families.

[@lukesoule5644]

This channel and John Green are an absolute gift

[@darubim]

had the luck to be in NY and see this exhibition. It changed my life and my concept of what is art. The catalog is something out of this world as well!

[@Ellesmere888]

Terrific video on a terrific topic. As an artist myself, I am often surprised when someone tells me to just stop where I am and go no further. Sometimes less is more. My favourite works are the drawings rather than the finished works.

[@GamerTagCaptCluel3ss]

I’ve never before seen La Scapigliata, but it nearly brought me to tears. I don’t know why, but that resonated with me.. Thank you.

[@catbyrd3606]

I love how much the art assignment shows me and helps me reflect on my own art as well as art history. Thanks to all those that contribute.

[@therestorationofdrwho1865]

That one of roosevelt is so weird, it’s literally a painting of him just before he died.

[@warriorcatskid003]

I love the vibe the unfinished art has

[@elskabee]

why is this something i've never considered before? so often we only see completed works, especially of historical art, when the unfinished can tell us so much

[@beccae8685]

I just saw the unfinished FDR portrait and the room it was painted in 2 weeks ago! It’s nice to have more information about it

[@thomascampbellmusic]

I could listen to John talk for hours, this video is beautiful

[@brickstitch435]

Glad to see that past artists also have unfinished wips

[@snehasishnaskar800]

"Does something have to look finished to be complete?"-that was profound.

[@ronaldfernandez1689]

Moved. Enlightened. Converted. Grateful.

[@FrumpybutSuperSmart]

I have a few pieces of art from my grandmother that she died before she could finish or never quite managed to figure out where she wanted them to go, and I am always taken aback when I look at them.

[@Swanky11]

I always forget she's married to John Green lmao

[@Bee-nw6df]

Swanky Garbage they’re both so independently accomplished but also ADORABLE together uwu

[@hectorrobertocontrerasmiranda]

I always forget he's an important author

[@aaliyah_888]

What

[@hectorrobertocontrerasmiranda]

@@aaliyah_888 which part?

[@howtubeable]

NEPOTISM. It's called Nepotism. You don't hire the best person. You hire a relative. And in this case, your spouse. A lot of Hillary Clinton vibes here.

[@LtNduati]

I think I've found my second favorite genre of art thanks again to the Art Assignment. I'm really glad this channel exists.

[@theyxaj]

This is such a great episode! Also, thank you thank you thank you for the captions!

[@madelynrose2429]

this makes me feel much better about getting bored of my work and moving on

[@Kavira111]

These paintings have rocked me to my core.

[@superduper5494]

What a wonderful video, as an artist myself i always look at my unfinished works with defeat, but i too love to look at unfinished work by the great artists of the past, like L’Adorazione dei Magi by Leonardo at the Uffizi Gallery, thinking of them as talented and gifted people with other-worldly abilities truly takes away from the fact that they were regular people who put a lot of time and passion into mastering their skills with the same anxiety and stress that every artist experience when striving for perfection in their work. This gives artist like Leonardo and Michelangelo credit for the fact that they actually worked hard to make their famous masterpieces with every single struggle that making a masterpiece comes with.

[@moonglow630]

I’ve seen the first painting in person. I’ve also been fortunate enough to see the “slave” sculptures by Michelangelo that was originally intended for the tomb of Pope Julius II. My art history classes are those I appreciate most.

[@dlanska]

This is so far beyond the norm of depth and quality for 9 minutes of content, I am simply amazed. Bravo! Thank you.

[@blinkbloonnk]

I can't stop staring at the happy doggy vase in the background. He looks so thrilled to be learning things ~

[@StudioHoekhuis]

Thank you for this great episode, loved every minute of it!

[@DoodTheDoodler]

I think one really collection of works that uses non finito really effectively is Adrian Brandon's "Stolen". It's a collection of portraits of black lives lost to police brutality, then colored relative to the age that person died in minutes (26 minutes spent coloring for 26 years, 46 minutes for 46 years, etc). He originally did the collection for an exhibit in 2019, but has made it an ongoing series because of the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and George Floyd. Amazing colorful portraits that become a reminder of the lives lost to police brutality

[@melaniemah9138]

Didn't know about this project. Thanks for telling us about it. It's chilling.

[@jakobraahauge7299]

You have a beautiful mind and you make my life a better place, even though you sometimes make my eyes tear up without I don't really know why. Thank you John!

[@syrusangi8743]

Unfinished work celebrates imperfection n a sort of mystery as to what or why it wasn't finished n what the artist was trying to convey in their work. It provides as much context as a complete painting would. It also helps to see immediate process of creating artwork. It's good to have a complete artwork with it's intended message behind it, but it also helps to celebrate n acknowledge the process of creating art as well

[@johnjohnson3709]

Great video, thanks!

[@picklesthewise]

I remember seeing some unfinished works on display in the National Portrait Gallery in D.C. They were actually some of my favorites because on the side they combined sketches, proposals, work that was done on certain details, but all of it never finished. All you saw was the guy's hand, or face, or part of his left eye. That told a story in itself. I think it'd be interesting to have a museum, or even just an exhibition in a museum, specifically for unfinished paintings.

[@cheems6373]

I'm by no means an artist, but I draw sometimes and finishing a piece always makes me sad. Its a very quiet accomplishment and you really just have to sit in it for a while.

[@emilymacdougall184]

This reminds me of a workshop I had the fortune of doing with artist/architect Michael Webb (of Archigram). His oil paintings look "finished" and he has them published but he continuously alters them, even ones he started 15+ years ago. His wife chimed in to tell us that when she asks when a painting will be done he always says "When I'm dead!"

[@SirSirveaux]

“I give unfinished art....two and a half stars.”

[@drewliedtke2377]

He would surely give it more than 2.5/5.

[@IsYitzach]

@@drewliedtke2377 I think he's giving it 5 half stars, so 2.5/2.5.

[@smallandhasty]

One of my favorite subjects for an episode. Thanks so much!

[@krissee6961]

So much beauty in the unfinished

[@deelitebaby]

Wow I LOVED this. Thank you so much.... just blew me away. Perhaps my favorite from you guys so far, though that is really hard to say. Also, I don’t think I ever really looked at M’s Pieta as an adult; it’s such a “given” that is almost becomes invisible - at least for me. It is profoundly moving. The last time I studied it I was a 17 year old freshman in art history class, over 30 years ago. I’ll be studying it more deeply. ❤️

[@bruceneeley1724]

WOW, Brilliant episode. Poignant, and engaging. Thanks John Green, Sarah Green and Art Assignment for your continued excellence.

[@firewordsparkler]

I loved this. I struggle with abandoning projects all the time, but I have to remind myself that those works still had and have value, maybe because they remain unfinished.

[@bonyclyde]

Unfinished, that’s where all the beauty is in Art, In the imperfection…

[@Its_Asteria]

This makes me feel better about the times I haven't finished a drawing in my sketchbook or my laptop. I have a lot of unfinished projects or abandoned projects that either were uninteresting, or didn't work out and I wanted to try again.

[@jamesfrazier4005]

I just discovered Dr. Seuss' Midnight Paintings, and thought it would be an interesting subject of the private collections of artist they don't show until after death. I found his work quite beautiful and daunting from a publicly happy, imaginative figure.

[@KannikCat]

"Context is decisive," as in, the context often 'decides' the meaning. Getting present to the context is immensely powerful, especially in our own lives, where so much context (that we inherit from family/culture/surroundings/etc) shape so much of how we view the world and others as well as how we be in it. In the same vein, something being "finished" or not is also our invented context or judgement. Like ruins, the opposite in the 'unfinished' can be more powerful and even beautiful to us. It was great to see examples of artists who embraced that as an integral part of the work. (As a hilarious flipside, when the Centre Pompidou opened in Paris, many people asked "when will it be finished?" because their context saw the outer skin as being construction scaffolding... :P) Great exploration and meditation, thanks John!

[@Splatterpunk_OldNewYork]

As a Fine Art oil painter, these unfinished pieces are so mesmerizing. You can tell the thought pattern that went into them, almost like a step by step tutorial. A real gift, becasue it's not like we can ask them how they did it, can we?

[@Henry.99]

This is an incredible piece. I go to art school and I feel like during COVID I'm getting more out of these short videos than my actually classes.

[@ROBYNMARKOW]

Thanks for making me feel better about my own unfinished artworks👍

[@probablyjustanotherhuman8714]

I keep getting distracted by the green vase ( or not a vase?) with a face - it's adorbable and i love it

[@KatWeltch]

This was incredibly well said and researched. All of the examples were perfect to describe ideas and comparisons. Very well done - intriguing and captivating.

[@reverendmothercheryl2276]

Simply breathtaking.