Is the painting that hangs in the background of Frasier’s apartment a reproduction of something I should remember from my Art Humanities class? It appears to my neanderthalish sense of culture to be somewhat Picassoesque. It would be in character for Frasier to have something hoity-toity on his walls, so I am assuming it is something. Of course, it could be designed to just look like something I should know… after all, Frasier is great, but it is no Simpsons.
The utter servility of mankind comes out in his preference for a bovine existence.
– Aristotle; N. Ethics
I don’t remember a painting in the background (then again, I’m not the sort of person who draws blueprints of the apartments of people in situation comedies in my spare time). However, I do remember one episode where Frasier buys a painting (SPOILER WARNING! STOP READING HERE IF YOU CARE!) which he believes to be by a particular artist, only to find out during a party he throws in that artist’s honor that a) she did not paint it and b) she doesn’t even like it, and thinks that Frasier has exceptionally poor taste because he did like it.
Wish it was that simple. The painting I am thinking of is in about every episode. Between the kitchen and the living room in Frasier’s apartment is a hallway that presumably leads to the bedrooms. It hangs (the painting, not the hallway) on the opposite wall from the front of the set. It makes its appearance much in the same way the rainbow-wig guy does, by just being in the background when the camera pans back and forth between the actors. For all I know the painting could be signed with John… whatever. Sorry I was not clearer in the OP.
Hope I don’t give the impression that I obsess over the show. Simpsons, yes, Frasier, no.
The utter servility of mankind comes out in his preference for a bovine existence.
– Aristotle; N. Ethics
What does the painting look like? I have this vague recollection of noticing a sort of painting of a bull by Jean Debuffet, or I could be remembering this from somewhere else (don’t watch the show much). What is the painting “of”, if it is of some-Thing?
I’m a big Frasier fan and I’ve noticed the painting too. It doesn’t strike me as Picasso-like, but it does remind me of the works of a well-known painter whose name I can’t recall right now. I’ll try to come up with it.
In consultations with my Art-History-Masters student lady fair at the moment. She says – “it is not a Hockney” She also says “It’s not a tumor” a lot too, so I am a wee bit leary. Doesn’t think it is a whosiwhatsit either. She says it’s more like a Matisse or maybe something from the Fauvist movement. (Whatever the hell that means). It is blue and red and white and black and read all over (sorry, couldn’t help that one), two dimensional, and the black and white object looks to her like a vase. Sure, whatever. I always thought they might be faces (or Giants). She also gave me a strange look for using the adjective ‘Picassoesque’… she says ‘modern’ would get me many fewer stares at a party. That being said, I am off to scour all three channels we get here for a rerun.
The utter servility of mankind comes out in his preference for a bovine existence.
– Aristotle; N. Ethics
Looks like a vase to me too. I just did some surfing for painters and some of their works. it may be Picasso; I thought about Matisse, but from the few paintings of his I found, don’t think so.
Okay, I watched tonight. I didn’t see the one I thought was Hockney. I did notice the one described above but can’t name the artist. Apparently, this Frasier fellow is an art-buying fool - or his set designer is.
I want you to know that I braved the NBC Frasier chat room to see if anyone there could tell us. They couldn’t. It was…scary. Don’t make me go back!