Degas? Or nah?
April 1, 2009 7:43 AM

Can anyone identify this painting?

Last year I obtained a digital image of the painting from a paid, royalty-free photo/graphics subscription. No caption was provided to identify the painting or its artist, and even in hi-res I am unable to read what appears to be the artist's name printed at the bottom of the painting. Nonetheless, the painting seems naggingly familiar, and I am confident that the hive mind will know more than I do here.

[Tangent/Wouldn’t it be great (at least in some instances) if Google's Image search had a "reverse" feature?; You supply the image and it provides the info?]
posted by applemeat to Media & Arts (8 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
I found it on the cover of this book on Amazon, using TinEye, which is pretty much the 'Reverse Google Image Search' you ask about.

That's the only result though...
posted by Happy Dave at 7:48 AM on April 1, 2009


It likely looks familiar because it imitates Degas.
The girl in front appears to be imitating the falling tree.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:28 AM on April 1, 2009


similar to Degas, but this painting seems to a bit off for his standards.
posted by Substrata at 8:30 AM on April 1, 2009


Well it's not Degas. It reminded me a bit of Marie Laurencin. She painted ballet dancers here and there but I doubt this is her. The palette and technique suggest it's 1940's/50s or later rather than impressionist as the subject might suggest.
posted by fire&wings at 8:35 AM on April 1, 2009


it looks Degas or Rodin-esque to me. They are most famous for sculpture and paintings (pastel work) depicting Ballet Dancers.

That being said, the dancers in your image look far to...um...coquettish to be an actual works fo either artist. perhaps it is a painting in the style of those masters, but not their actual work...

There seems to be a mark or signature, and date, at the bottom - are you able to make out what it says?
posted by miss_scarlett at 8:36 AM on April 1, 2009


Here's the site of the author of the book Happy Dave linked to, you could always ask her.
posted by iconomy at 8:38 AM on April 1, 2009


Happy Dave: Thanks for the introduction to TinEye! (...And I may be able to identify the painting through the copyright/credit info inside that book.)

Others: I am already aware painting is thematically similar to/yet probably inferior to Degas. The "quality/importance" of this painting is absolutely irrelevant for my purposes; I am using the graphic in a project and would simply like to know its identity, if possible. Thanks!
posted by applemeat at 8:40 AM on April 1, 2009


Update: I still don't know the painting's title, but found out (from the graphics company) that the artist is Everett Shinn.
posted by applemeat at 5:47 AM on April 2, 2009


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