JohnstonCoArts left this as a comment on a recent post, but thought I would bring it up front and center just in case you have not yet seen the Adolf Hitler watercolors that the Chapman Brothers bought at auction so they could alter them, creating the images Adolf "would have made if he were a hippie". I wish I'd thought of that. I wish I could own one of the new pieces.
posted by Kate at 3:36 PM
5 Comments:
Only the English could pull this one off...
can people really do this..buy art and alter it without any legal repercussion...any laws concerning this??
I would guess that once you purchase art, its yours to do with what you will, you then own all the rights to that piece. I'm personally more upset about the Goya etchings they altered a few years ago, although I recognize that the Hitler paintings do have historical significance too-Jessica
Actually, the artist always retains the copyright unless they specifically sell the copyright.
First, I have to agree with the comment above about the Goya etchings - that borders on travesty, though there may be no legal reason why they could not alter the etchings if they owned them.
However, Hitler's paintings may also be outside of copyright - though he has only been dead 63 years (75 is the current observed time period for US copyright - it may be less in Europe), these may fall under the "fair use" clause simply because of their historical relevance, the fact that there are no surviving family members, and that the artists flat out purchased the works (copyright may have been included with the purchase). But, is anyone really going to complain either way?
What is fascinating to me is the contrast between my reaction to the Hitler paintings versus the Goya etchings. For Goya, I was offended because these are deeply meaningful pieces (and only a limited number of versions are existing); for Hitler's watercolors I was amused by the cheeky insult - with such a complex undertone of intent - to Hitler...
And this contrasted reaction is precisely why I find this such a brilliant series.
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