They say every picture tells a story.
Well sometimes the story comes from the picture. Ever wondered what that image could have done in the mind of another viewer? What sort of drama it could have sparked off? How it could have changed the lives of people who took it into their gaze?
Or maybe there was a hidden story, something the artist wanted to obscure, or exaggerate, or laugh at. Or maybe there was something in the artist’s mind that took form in the picture – anxieties, confusion, elation, or a wish for peace.
The possibilities are endless. Here’s a collection of ten minute stories inspired by works of art.
A Bar at the Folies Fulham (A whimsy from Manet’s marvel)
A Fat Nude (Think of Lucien Freud painting one of the family)
Angels Throwing Stones (An attack from the heavens. Inspired by Natalia Goncharova)
Artemisia’s Hammer (A couple contemplate a dark painting. Inspired by Artemisi Gentileschi.
Beneath the Water Lilies (Monet gets maudlin)
Colour Between the Folds (Inspired by Judith Walker)
Cow’s Skull with Calico Roses (A desert ritual and a Georgia O’Keeffe painting)
Elephant Dung (A Chris Ofili painting stirs the …..)
Goya’s Dog (One of the saddest sights in art)
Indian Church (Into the depths of the forest with Emily Carr)
The Noble Dosser (A man who knew my mum – Inspired by Peter Howson)
Nighthawks (Hopper’s iconic scene)
Redefining the face (So what did the women think of Picasso’s portraits?)
Red on Maroon (Contemplation with Rothko)
Resurrection (When the dead are granted new life – Inspired by Stanley Spencer)
Saviour’s Face (Inspired by Alexej von Jawlensky)
Sea Monster (One of JMW Turner’s finest)
St John the Baptist (Caravaggio runs into a showdown)
The Straw Man (One of Edward Burra’s weird visions)
The Wet Afternoon of Ravilious (An Eric Ravilious picture stirs up memories of a childhood loss)
The Man in the Crypt (There’s a statue by Anthony Gormley in Winchester Cathedral)
Vincent’s Crows (Van Gogh creates one man’s nightmare)
White Doors (Trapped inside a painting. Inspired by Willhelm Hammershoi)
