Exclusive: Portrait of the last board meeting at BP captured in oil !!

[DFW]

I posted this on another thread about a painting, but wanted to share it, as it seemed so appropriate:



In case anyone asks where it hangs--it hangs right here in my house in Germany.

It was painted by my grandfather in New York when he was 85 or so. He took up painting as a hobby
after his wife died, so it dates from around 1979 (he was born in 1894 and lived to be 102). He
was a Madison Avenue advertising man in the 1940s and 1950s and had one hell of a sense of humor
(you should see the other stuff he painted!).

If he had lived until today, he would have surely renamed his painting (called "The Blockheads"),
"The June, 2010, Board Meeting at BP."

[nuxvomica]

1. That's a great painting

Your grandfather really knew how to delight the eye. It would make good cover art for Harper's.

[DFW]

2. He was just looking for a fun way to channel his creative energy

When my grandmother died, there wasn't too much demand for an 83 year old ex-ad man
with a great sense of humor and a vivid imagination, so he took up painting just out
of the blue, and for the hell of it. He once even had a NYC showing of his paintings,
with numerous requests to buy them, but they weren't for sale.

His heirs, myself included, couldn't bear the thought of his work going outside the family.

And so, they didn't. As I had loved "The Blockheads" since I first saw it some 30 years ago,
he made sure that I got that one.

As with my grandfather, NO price is high enough for me to sell that one.

But I'm happy to share it here ;-)

[nuxvomica]

3. Please post more if you have them

I can't take my eyes off that one. The play of light is intriguing and the joke about corporate boardrooms is dead-on and, apparently, timeless. I'm amazed that something so insulting to its subject can be so beautiful at the same time.

[DFW]

6. I will try to find the time to take photos of the ones I have here

The others are scattered among my siblings on the east coast, maybe a few with my cousins in Tennessee.

I have three more here. When I get a free moment, I'll take digital photos of them and post them.

One of the ones DUers would also enjoy is one of some typical Wall Street types coming with their
briefcases out of some Manhattan high rise with their briefcases. One of them is being jerked into
the air on the end of a line from a huge rod being wielded by an immense fish perched on the roof.
Unfortunately, either my brother or my sister has that one.

[DFW]

9. Bad news

Some of the coolest ones must be with my cousins in Memphis. Neither my brother nor my sister has them. I'll try to get in touch, but I don't see them very often. I will try to take pics of the ones I have here in a little while.

[nuxvomica]

10. Don't sweat it, DFW

You were kind enough to post the one painting, which we all enjoyed, and I'm looking forward to seeing any other works by your grandfather because he has such a wonderful style. I can wait for you to take pictures, whenever. :-)

[Octafish]

4. That IS a great painting.

Thank you for sharing, DFW.

[islandmkl]

5. great painting...would love to post it to facebook and some other places...

[DFW]

7. Go right ahead

His name, forgotten by most of humanity by now, was Milton Goodman. Born 1894, died 1996.

[blondeatlast]

8. Love it! Big k/r. nt