my newest pic

[Hertz van Rental]

Afraid it's been done before - a painting by Alphonse Allais circa 1890 entitled 'Anaemic Virgins Going To Their First Communion In A Snowstorm'.
Honest.
He also did an all black one entitled 'Negroes Fighting In A Cave At Night'.
Being a long time fan of his work I actually recreated those two photographically for an exhibition in 1980.
I also did one or two of my own - 'Sunburned Santa' was the best one.
I think I might actually have some of the prints somewhere....

But first a 'phone call to my lawyer about copyright infringement.....

 

[Rob]

I think I might actually have some of the prints somewhere....

Now that would be a great entry for the print exchange! I know you love your controversy!

Rob

 

[clarinetJWD]

I boosted the contrast a little, and dodged the image some in PS

 

[Rob]

Needs some unsharp mask, a touch of levels and possibly a conversion to sepia tint.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

Am I the only one to have noticed that he has posted it upside-down?
Not a very observant bunch, are you?

 

[clarinetJWD]

Am I the only one to have noticed that he has posted it upside-down?
Not a very observant bunch, are you?

I thought it was on purpose, and honestly, I think it works well here.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

I thought it was on purpose, and honestly, I think it works well here.

I call it shoddy workmanship. It's like flinging a pot of paint in the face of his audience!

 

[Rob]

No, he's demonstrating his contempt for the conventional form of displaying work right-side-up. That's why it's slightly crooked as well. Not enough clock in the picture for me though Hertz?

 

[Hertz van Rental]

Not enough clock in the picture for me though Hertz?

Well spotted. There is indeed too little clock in that picture.

To return to Allais - there was a whole series of letters from him to Le Figaro (I think) complaining that the organisers of the exhibition had hung one of his canvasses upside-down.
The man was a humorist par excellence, a wonderfully funny writer and a century ahead of his time. He deserves to be better known than he is.
There is a square named after him in Honfleur - I went on a kind of pilgrimage to visit it. The square is a small one at the back of several hotels and is just used for storing rubbish bins. Allais would have found it amusing, I'm sure.
More about him (but en Francais).
http://www.passocean.com/dddeuxsieclesdhistoire/alphonseallais/alphonseallais.html
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/bib_lisieux/allais.htm