Real Thing

The problem with reproductions in books, magazines etc.. becomes increasingly apparent where original paintings, and indeed original artworks are concerned.

Hesitations on whether to bother, just by pass the cost and the hassle of standing, squeezing amongst the crowds to have a peek at something you can easily view on the Internet/in a book.

Here lies the problem. Reproductions are not and never will be the same as the real thing. The colours; never the same, often muted, a shade off the real thing or failing that just plain wrong. The blue/grey water that appears in reproductions of J W Waterhouse's Circe Invidiosa is in fact more turquoise. Chiaroscuro is never quite as effective in books. The real thing has a vibrancy, an indescribable presence, and a magical light to them, a light that is lost in a reproduction.

The textures; evermore striking in reality.

The details; easily unnoticed when the image is reduced to fit the confined space of a book. Then there is the cropping aspect reproductions so often use. Also the different areas the artist employs to place his signature, becomes apparent. So seeing the painting in the flesh is an encounter, a world of discoveries, that cannot be replaced.

The Lady of Shallot, no doubt one of Waterhouse's most renowned has a simultaneous stillness and depth to it, it is so powerful words fail to pinpoint its magic. Of course I buy the book, but looking at immediately after the show with the real paintings fresh in my mind left me unsatisfied, and cheated in a way. Perhaps I have just noted the obvious, but my experience at the Waterhouse Exhibit was so vivid. I was also struck by his use of cropping (a natural occurrence in photography) and the strength it gave to the painting.