Paintings and Photos in Picard's Study
by Jörg Hillebrand and Bernd Schneider
Paintings on Desk WallPaintings on Door WallPaintings on Fireplace WallPhotosAddendum: "Et in Arcadia Ego II"
There are a total of 18 paintings or prints in Picard's study in PIC season 1. Five of them can be seen on the wall behind his desk, five more are placed on the wall opposite the windows (three on the left portion and two on the right, between the two doors). Finally, there are eight paintings on the wall close to the couches and the big fireplace. We have been able to identify 16 of the 18 paintings.
In the following, we will show screen caps from the episodes and photos of the actual works of art in a side-by-side comparison. We list the title of each painting and also the name of the artist and the years in which they lived, the year the painting was made and where it (or a copy of it) is now located.
We can also see five photos in the study, all of which are probably meant to depict Picard and were created with available shots of a younger Patrick Stewart. We identify the origin of the photos and their components as far as possible.
Paintings on Desk Wall
This is the wall behind Picard's desk. There are five paintings on the wall. Three are located in a small group on the left side, one painting is above the fireplace and another one is to the right of it.
Tōtō Takanawa Kaigen | Foreigners Riding Along the Coast at Takanawa in the Eastern Capital
This colorful print can be seen on the left side of the desk wall, close to the windows. It was painted by Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige II (1829-1869) in the year 1861. The painting is located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (currently in storage).
Two Draped Figures
To the right of the above print is a sketch by the Italian artist Cherubino Alberti (1553-1615). The picture is held by the National Gallery of Art (USA).
Arabs Resting
The reflection on the glass cover makes it hard to make out what the painting depicts. But we are positive this is Arabs Resting by Spanish Painter Eugenio Lucas (1817-1870). It is stored in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Daughter
Above the fireplace on the desk wall hangs Data's painting Daughter. This is the version that shows Dahj from the back so her face is not seen like in the other version. Data painted the two versions of Daughter circa 2369. The water spout in Data's painting may have been inspired by Winslow Homer's painting The Gulf Stream, which is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In real life, the painting was created by Andrea Dopaso for the production of Picard.
Camille Pissarro, par lui-même
The lone print on the right side of the desk wall is a self-portrait of Camille Pissarro (1830-1903), created by etching between 1890-1891. It is on display in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
Paintings on Door Wall
This is the wall opposite the windows. There are three paintings above the large sideboard and two paintings are located between the terrace door and the entrance to the Study.
Greenwich Pensioner
This print hangs above the left side of the sideboard. It was created by the American artist James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) in the year 1859. It can be seen in the Metropolitan Museum of Arts.
The Greenwich Pensioner is the so far only picture we know of that reappears in a later season. It can be seen in a different place in "The Next Generation".
Unidentified gobelin
This looks like a gobelin/tapestry showing a 1700s garden/park scene. There's a large tree at the center and several men and women can be seen.
Portrait of Charles Meryon
This print can be seen above the right side of the sideboard. It is an etching by the French artist Félix Bracquemond (1833-1914) created in the year 1853. It is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Sir Neville Wilkinson on the Steps of the Palladian Bridge at Wilton House
This painting is seen to the left of the main entrance door to the study. It was painted by the American artist John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) in the years 1904/05. The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art (USA).
Veduta del Porto di Ripetta
The print hangs next to the door, above the previously mentioned painting. It was created by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) in the year 1760. This print is occasionally falsely identified as View of the monument erected by the Emperor Titus Vespasian restored for the new aqueducts of Anion and Claudia, which is a different print by Piranesi.
Paintings on Fireplace Wall
This is the wall with the second fireplace, in front of which a small table and several chairs and couches are located. There are seven paintings close to the door and one painting is hanging above the fireplace.
Saints Peter and Paul
One of the pictures is another sketch by Cherubino Alberti (1553-1615), who also created Two Draped Figures on the opposite wall. The sketch is in the collection of the National Gallery of Arts (USA).
Five Studies of a French Pointer
This sketch was created in the years 1825/26 by British artist Richard Parkes Bonington (1802-1828). It is owned by the National Gallery of Arts (USA).
Costume Studies
This sketch was created by French artist Jean-François Millet (1814-1875) in the years 1854/55. It can be seen at the National Gallery of Arts (USA).
A Landscape with a Great Tree
One of the artworks at the very top is this sketch by the Dutch artist Herman van Swaneveld (c. 1600-1655). It is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Arts (USA).
Christ on the Mount of Olives
This colorful print was created by an anonymous German artist in the 15th century. It is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Arts.
Egyptian textile fragment
This framed linen textile fragment can be identified thanks to a behind-the-scenes photo. It was created in the 9th-10th century, probably in Egypt and is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Arts.
Unidentified Yosemite Valley painting
We have so far been unable to find out the name of this painting. The behind-the-scenes photo reveals it shows the "tunnel view" of Yosemite Valley with the infamous El Capitan on the left.
Women in an Interior
The large picture above the fireplace was painted by Fernand Léger (1881-1955) in the year 1922. It is interesting that Picard chose a painting by Léger because Data described Picard's own style in "A Matter of Perspective" to that of the great cubist:
"While suggesting the free treatment of form usually attributed to Fauvism, this quite inappropriately attempts to juxtapose the disparate cubistic styles of Picasso and Léger. In addition, the use of color suggests a haphazard mélange of clashing styles. Furthermore, the unsettling overtones of proto-Vulcan influences-"
Photos
There are five photographs in Picard's study. Three large ones are on the sideboard opposite the windows, two smaller ones are on his desk. The big ones have all been on display at the Picard exhibitions in the summer of 2019, two of the images previously appeared in the book The Autobiography of Jean-Luc Picard. These three images were most likely all created by Russell Walks. The two small photos are most likely authentic photos from Patrick Stewart's youth.
Photo 1
This photo (actually a sketch) is first fully seen in "Maps and Legends" but it can barely be made out in "Remembrance" already. It shows a young Ensign Jean-Luc Picard.
The photo was seen up close during the Picard exhibitions in the summer of 2019. Next to the framed photo, a label states that the sketch was made by Picard's fellow crew member Russell Walks. Russell Walks is a real-life illustrator, who created the other two large photos from the sideboard for The Autobiography of Jean-Luc Picard by David A. Goodman, so he most likely also designed the above sketch, even though it wasn't ultimately used in the book.
The sketch is based on an old photo of Patrick Stewart. It seems the photo was shown (together with one of a young Ian McKellan) when the two were promoting their Broadway appearances on the ABC show "The View" in November 2013.
Photo 2
The second photo is seen for the first time in "The End is the Beginning". It can barely be made out in "Maps and Legends", however. According to the Picard exhibition, this photo shows cadet Picard in 2326. It was originally created by Russell Walks for the above mentioned Picard autobiography. In that book, it is stated that the photo shows Picard upon graduating from Starfleet Academy.
The basis for this image is a publicity photo showing Patrick Stewart as John Thornton in the 1975 BBC adaptation of "North and South". It also appears on the cover of the DVD of the BBC series.
Photo 3
The third photo is first seen in "Maps and Legends". Here, it briefly comes into sight on the left side of the sideboard. After this episode it first reappears in "Absolute Candor" when the holographic recreation of the study makes its first appearance. From then on, it is always seen on the right side of the sideboard.
This photo was also on exhibit in the summer of 2019. Like the previous image, this photo was also originally created for The Autobiography of Jean-Luc Picard. In the book, it is stated under the image:
"This picture was found in 1962 among the personal letters of Samuel Clemens bequeathed to the University of California/Berkley. Picard would remain unidentified by historians for over 400 years. The inscription from Picard reads "A great man once said 'Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't.' Thanks for the possibilities! J.L.P." in quoting Clemens himself, Picard created a conundrum. He met Clemens in 1893, four years before Clemens would publish that quote."
The image seen in the book was also created by Russell Walks. He used two sources for this composite. The image of Samuel Clemens can be found at the Library of Congress and at Wikipedia. It shows Samuel Clemens with his friend John T. Lewis. The image of Picard shows him in the outfit he wore in 19th century San Francisco in "Time's Arrow II". We haven't been able to find the exact image yet, but it is most likely based on a publicity photo similar to the one depicted here. A screen cap from the actual episode also shows Picard's outfit.
Photos 4 & 5
These two small black and white photos are seen on Picard's desk in nearly every episode in which his study appears. They are most likely actual original photos showing Patrick Stewart as a young boy. It is unclear who one of the photos depicts. Only a person standing in front of a palm tree can be made out.
Addendum: "Et in Arcadia Ego II"
The study is covered in gray paint in the season 1 finale as Picard meets Data in the quantum simulation (or afterlife). The sizes and locations of the paintings are only roughly the same as in the actual study. Since the more or less valuable pieces of decoration were not supposed to be damaged, it looks like additional inaccuracies were created on purpose, to emphasize the unreal nature of the scenario.
See Also
Picard's Shakespeare Books - investigation of the books in the ready room and in his quarters, incl. identification of the pages
The Trophies in Picard's Quantum Archive - identification and description of the trophies visible in PIC: "Remembrance"
Credits
Exhibition photos from TrekCore. Several photos of paintings from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and National Gallery of Arts (USA). Special thanks to Angelo Cifaldi for the high-res versions of three photos.
