Art That Was Never Finished

Artists have abandoned artworks for many reasons throughout history. Guest host John Green shares some of his favorite unfinished artworks and explains why they resonate with him so deeply. Featuring work by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Edgar Degas, Alice Neel, Kerry James Marshall, and very many presidential portraits.
Thanks to our Grandmasters of the Arts Divide By Zero Collection and David Golden, and to all of our patrons, especially Anthony Chivetta, Rich Clarey, Iain Eudailey, Tom Forwood, Patrick Hanna, Andrew Huynh, Eve Leonard, Audrey Mak Tung, David Moore, Jane Quale, Gabriel Civita Ramirez, Andrew Sheeler, Boris Silantiev, Josh Thomas, Constance Urist, and Roberta Zaphiriou.
To support our channel, visit: / artassignment .
Subscribe for new episodes of The Art Assignment every other Thursday.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@blockyblender7924]

Presidents: Hey, paint me Artists: Hold my paper

[@sefrautiq]

What a time to be alive

[@ndescruzur4378]

haha that was funny

[@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

[@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.

[@mileswingett9786]

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

[@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

[@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"

[@lacylamere9717]

I love how John Green just owns his disheveled dad look

[@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 :)

[@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.

[@ladywhyasker]

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

[@shandya]

The unfinished watercolor looks complete to me

[@anonymoussenpai4325]

No. It doesn't have paper.

[@Swanky11]

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

[@cassandralyris4918]

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

[@ashleya3731]

That unfinished Roosevelt painting is pretty amazing with its backstory

[@patrickburell7139]

John Green talking about art is always refreshing.

[@kenster8270]

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

[@linus2812]

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

[@vintagetears2416]

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

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@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?

[@mrhyde6834]

“Art that was never finished” My entire sketchbook

[@therestorationofdrwho1865]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@jerma953]

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

[@Mcwsmurf1]

Relatable

[@gjk-arts5855]

ema lajdová and future art qwq

[@amr_12_]

My art too

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@theyxaj]

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

[@StudioHoekhuis]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@smallandhasty]

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

[@abipach6677]

All “unfinished” art is a WIP. I have a whole ass file of some WIP and whenever I get bored or just need to work on something. (The file ain’t that big bc I’ve finished some recently) (WIP=work in progress)

[@bipashamahanta6788]

The Kafka part reminded me of Peter Van Houten leaving his work, The Imperial Affliction in half-sentence, in The Fault In Our Stars.

[@joshorganika]

fascinating video! gotta love getting a glimpse of the genius that goes behind the artwork

[@CarlWidegrip]

Just came back to rewatch this one. Such a well done video on a very touching topic!

[@itzsterre1453]

“Art that was never finished” *openes my artbooks*

[@benallgeier5932]

guess he forgot about JFK's official portrait, that one is cool and interesting

[@lauraodonnell5225]

Is that the one by Elaine Dekooning?

[@benallgeier5932]

@@lauraodonnell5225 yea

[@chantalu8294]

This is a really good video. And it's fantastic that you did write the title etc. for every painting. Thank you very much!

[@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!

[@SomeoneCommenting]

2:11 If he hasn't said that this was a 'unfinished' painting, I would have taken it as the actual artistic idea of the painter. Focusing on the face, the rest is unimportant. It perfectly looks like any modern art painting. I would have never guessed that it wasn't a completed work, because the important part, his face, is complete. And from there it radiates out, like fading the rest as it gets away from his face.

[@17smadonna20]

ikr

[@Towalak]

There's this creepy painting my dad never completed in the guest's room that's a portrait of a lady with exceedingly pale skin on a bare dark background and whose ear is unfinished. My old man doesn't like it when guests stay more than one night.

[@Cody_Cigar]

Interesting, so he left it unfinished on purpose? Mine has an oil painting of an almost complete 300SL with the background only sketched out but he didn't get to finish it in his life, I still hung it up :)

[@Towalak]

That's a nice reminder of him you have. I just asked him as I had never bothered to. He wanted to reproduce a painting by Greuze (18th century french artist) using the same techniques as he did (like using egg yolks for yellow). He found it to be very time consuming and gave up on finishing it

[@Cody_Cigar]

@@Towalak Maybe now that he has more time on his hands you might motivate him to finish it - It's unfinished business and with some elbow grease it could turn from creepy into something beautiful :)

[@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.

[@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.

[@alluneedislessthan3]

As someone with ADD I’ve never related more to a renaissance painting.

[@alluneedislessthan3]

Well... ADHD: inattentive type if you’re the owner of a dsm 5.

[@Fr00ter]

It's like.....you didn't understand what was said.....

[@SallyBerry9]

Some Psychiatrists and art historians think that Leonardo DaVinci had ADHD due to his unfinished projects and other parts about his life that's comforted me in my recent diagnosis. Here's a cool article about it www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-study-suggests-da-vinci-had-adhd-180972359/

[@pineapplepizza2431]

Ah, my favorite power couple

[@PTCello]

This is brilliant, and very well produced and prepared. Well done!

[@snook7509]

Thank you, guys, for what you are doing. Love your videos.

[@davidcrouch3226]

I had never considered the topic of unfinished art before. This was poignant and moving.

[@jairedpedro3268]

Look I'm holding a paper now I'm the president 😅

[@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!

[@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.

[@eggyegg7424]

A Russian artist painting the American President Roosevelt... then suddenly dies HMMMMMM INTERESTING xD

[@17smadonna20]

isso sus

[@CatholicSatan]

Argh! Whenever I hear remarks like: "human beings who live in time and space", I switch off because, _where else are they going to live??_

[@antoa343]

it's a metaphor, don't take it too literal :)

[@zyaicob]

Well that's just it. The "time and space" bit is about emphasising the fact that that's just how we have to exist

[@MrLee-ue7iu]

This was so well done. Thank you

[@blaximperia]

This video, the topic and the analysis, is emotionally beautiful.

[@guppy8073]

“prisoners or slaves” feels especially haunting giving the social movement we’re experiencing right now

[@paulandreigillesania5359]

Tell me why John Green's starting to look like the dad from Coraline but less pale and more generational

[@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.

[@dlanska]

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

[@XxPureKhaosxX]

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

[@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”.

[@lukesoule5644]

This channel and John Green are an absolute gift

[@bhavyau1053]

Absolutely love this video! Thank you Art Assignment for making this video!! I would always wonder about how artists at that time have lived with the painting. And this video helped me in visualizing the process of the art work. The sculptures are absolutely intricate!💕💕💕

[@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.

[@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!

[@deleted4437]

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

[@hikawagetsbitches]

even seeing these pieces makes me feel more calm about my own art. to see these great artists abandon their works, no matter how technically amazing or conceptually beautiful it was, is very refreshing to see, even if these artists have their own reasons.

[@MrMineHeads.]

This was such a delightful video!

[@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.

[@macsnafu]

A surprisingly interesting video. Thanks, John!

[@julialuz5850]

Amazing!!! I absolutely loved this!!

[@dickersondesigns3596]

That was absolutely fantastic! I certainly feel like I learned a few things, and considering there's no shot of getting to a museum anytime soon, I really really appreciate this series.

[@bruceneeley1724]

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

[@99thehighstreet69]

Great watch.Superb.Many thanks.😀

[@xzabath1]

Excellent video, Thank you.

[@paulscottfilms]

Excellent indeed. A thoroughly innovative and enjoyable video.

[@mazinakar7676]

Incredibly well articulated!

[@illusin7507]

I really enjoyed this video, keep up the good work.

[@johnjohnson3709]

Great video, thanks!

[@lyledeyounges1276]

I really enjoyed this video, thanks!

[@ROBYNMARKOW]

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

[@jsebastiantello]

Mind... blown! Awesome video!

[@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.

[@TheGoldenFluzzleBuff]

I thoroughly enjoyed this and I hope KZbin sends this to more people

[@TheTravelVal]

Wow, loved loved loved this video!!

[@3au]

This video is amazing I’m glad it was recommended for me ❤️❤️❤️

[@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!