Gordon Moran leaves us. Our remembrance

by Federico Giannini, Ilaria Baratta , published on 05/01/2015
Categories: News Focus / Disclaimer

It is only now, heavily delayed, that we learn of Gordon Moran’s passing, thanks to his wife Lucia Monaci who had the kind thought to notify us, and whom we thank from the bottom of our hearts. Well: Gordon Moran, an independent scholar who devoted almost his entire life to the Guidoriccio da Fogliano controversy, left us on Christmas Eve. The sorrow we felt upon hearing the news cannot be expressed. We therefore want to remember Gordon Moran with a few simple and probably inadequate words.

It was in April 2011 when we, Ilaria and Federico, together with our friend Ambra who at the time ran the column The Note on our Finestre Sull’Arte, went to Siena at Gordon’s invitation to attend one of his lectures on the Guidoriccio together with a group of U.S. students from Syracuse University. Right in front of the fresco. Our memory is still crystal clear. He had greeted us with a big smile, and with the manner of a true gentleman. The kindness of his manner was matched only by the passion he infused in explaining the reasons that had led him to express doubts about the traditional attribution to Simone Martini of what is one of the most celebrated frescoes in the history of art. We had not missed a single word of that lecture. A lecture expounded in a calm and clear manner, so that every single word hit the mark on the listener. And for us that mark became impossible to erase. What’s more, the opportunity to follow the lecture in front of the fresco was something unique, and made it all the more fascinating.

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Gordon Moran. Courtesy of the family

After the lecture, Gordon had invited us to lunch at one of Siena’s best restaurants, just a short walk from Piazza del Campo. With him and two young art history professors, we savored the pleasures of Sienese cuisine and especially those of Chianti, in which Gordon seemed to have a certain interest, talked about art, joked (in particular ... about women’s passion for chocolate!), and talked about our project. Gordon was the first art historian to believe in Finestre Sull’Arte. At a time when our site was still basically a game, and was frequented by a small circle of people. Yet Gordon Moran had really liked our work, and we were really over the moon: one of the most influential scholars (or independent scholars, as he liked to call himself) of the twentieth century had expressed appreciation for our work. And we could not only attend one of his lectures in front of the work he studied most passionately, but we could also share a lunch with him. Given our age and inexperience, we could not have asked for more or better.

Now Finestre Sull’Arte has lost one of its greatest friends. Our biggest regret is that we were not able to meet him one more time, which would have been a huge pleasure for us, because we had frequent e-mail exchanges and he was constantly updating us on any news concerning the Guidoriccio querelle: we would therefore have been delighted to hear from him again in person. We just want to say that we consider Gordon Moran to be one of the people who inspired us most in our project and our journey. A person who, like him, struggled alone against a world that was hostile to him, and who nevertheless managed to gain much authoritative feedback for the theories he proposed, is deserving of the deepest admiration. And he is and remains for us a very high example that we will always try to follow, hoping to be worthy of it.

What we would like to express, finally, is a sincere and heartfelt thanks to Gordon Moran. For giving us the opportunity to meet him in person. For believing in our project and being one of our staunchest supporters. For his love of young people: it was clear from his gaze, in front of the group composed of us and his fellow students, how much pleasure it gave him to talk about art to an audience all composed of people largely under the age of 30. For opening our eyes to a fresco whose attribution was thought to be a given. And for proving that anyone, if they believe in their ideas and pursue them with courage, conviction, passion and tenacity, can achieve great things despite obstacles that may seem extremely difficult to overcome, almost insurmountable. Thank you Gordon Moran: we and all those who love art will never stop remembering this person who was so affable, intelligent, sharp, knowledgeable and passionate.

Gordon Moran. Photos from the “Duccio di Buoninsegna” High School of Art in Siena.

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