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-Diana- Offline OP
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My most recent art history article, A Poussin Reunion, is about a classical French painting that was cut in two by its owner. How would you feel if someone divided your artistic creation into two separate works? Would it be an offense or would you be glad if your work of art was valued by both of the new owners?


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Let me begin by saying I enjoyed your article. It was well written and informative.
I think, personally, that I would be a little dismayed if this happened to something I labored over. I guess the real question would be, What was the reasoning behind the decision to cut it into two separate works? I don't know really if there would be any answer to that question that would make me feel there was ample enough respect being given to my work that would make me feel the right thing had occurred.
I know others will have different view points and I'll be interested to read them.

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Wow I would be really upset!! I guess this is an interesting question about the rights of an owner. An artist creates something unique in the world. I suppose an owner then has the right to draw mustaches on the people or anything else. It just seems wrong to me. What if you bought a really important painting that is a pivotal moment in the change of a genre and then sliced it up with razors?


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-Diana- Offline OP
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Once I made a Christmas wreath for my mother-in-law and I decorated it very carefully with ribbons, pinecones, berries, etc. to create a harmonious effect. Then later, I saw it hanging on her door with a huge plaid ribbon stuck to it. It was quite appalling! This is a bit similar to what happened to Poussin but not exactly.

I wouldn't mind much if people used reprints of sections from my paintings and create other things with them (with permission of course) -- that is almost flattering. But I believe I would be upset if the original painting were tampered with.

But the thing is that the owner has the right to do whatever they want with the work of art and when an artist sells a painting, he/she has no further control over it. Luckily, it didn't take long to get over the wreath. And I learned that changes like that are always a possiblity when you give your art to someone.

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I am an artist and have made my living from selling my works for the last 30 years.
That said, I agree, if reluctantly, that once the work has passed from my hands it is up to the new owner to do what she wishes with it. (Diana, at least she used the wreath and didn't just chuck it away!)
There's no accounting for taste, which is why not all of my paintings sell as soon as they are displayed. I put a price on them that I feel will reward me for my skill and labor, and once out of my hands they are gone.
A person could own a great masterwork and put a match to it if she wished. That might be a cultural crime, and unethical in the extreme, but as long as we live in a society that values private ownership there's nothing anyone else can do about it.
Paintings have been cut down in the past for whatever reasons...maybe to fit into a different wall space, or to go into a different frame. It happens.
Copyright laws are something else, but I think they involve making prints of another artist's work and selling them for a profit.

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Wow! I have to admit, I would be pretty upset. I'm not an artist, but I do write music. I would be very upset if someone changed my lyrics or something.

It's interesting that the pieces have been brought back together. It looks sort of strange though in that picture in the link you provided. Like two paintings shoved together.

Oh well... the artist creates. Guess if wanted to protect everything we created, we'd never let it out of our house.


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My first feeling would be to be upset but on further thought I guess I would be impressed that someone thought to make two works of art out of one. Someone obviously felt there were two stories to be told but as a whole one of the stories was overpowering the other. In my mind the artist might even find the whole situation amusing.

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Hi Diana,
I would be upset. Kind of reminds me of the two women in the story of Solomons wisdom, where he ordered the baby to be cut in two.
I guess it would also depend on if the painting could be divided well, and still look good, but still seems a shame.
I guess if you were poor and had one expensive painting you could make more money if it was cut in two LOL! smile


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-Diana- Offline OP
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Nicola: that story of Solomon is a great example of a situation like this. How clever to think of it...


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