The Evil Picture - a small plot question

[Toby Frost]

Normally, I'm very much of the view that people shouldn't ask others about how their plots should go, but I've reached a tricky point where hearing other people's thoughts might prod my brain a bit. So here goes.

Our heroine, a painter, has gone to a city-state with a diplomatic group to help cement an alliance with its prince. They have taken 20 or so pictures of differing sorts with them, by various painters. On arriving, they give the pictures to the prince as a token of goodwill, and the heroine starts painting a portrait of the prince's daughter. The paintings are locked away for the moment, until they can be properly hung.

The heroine notices that one of the gift-pictures is ugly and comparatively crude. Nobody recognises where it came from. Several events hint that it has an occult meaning, and she becomes increasingly obsessed with working out who created it. Eventually, she fakes an illness to enable her to go and research the painting's history elsewhere.

Now: should she take the painting with her? She has compiled copious notes on it, and removing it from the palace would be tricky, even though it's in storage. But she believes that it's powerfully evil. Would she let it out of her sight,or might she be glad to escape it for a while?

 

[Toby Frost]

Actually, I've had an idea probably brought on by writing the original post. But I'd still be interest to know people's thoughts.

 

[thaddeus6th]

Make a detailed sketch (or even hire an artist to copy it) and leave the original. She might not even be able to remove it, and it could risk a diplomatic incident. And, as you say, she might be glad to escape its evil.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Make a detailed sketch (or even hire an artist to copy it)

Umm... Any painters I know (except the ones that are decorators) can sketch well enough.
She'd probably be able to do even a rough sketch straight after seeing it. Long term memory is different, so even next day is too long.

 

[thaddeus6th]

Bah, bit sleepy, missed/forgot she was a painter.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Coffee / Chocolate shortage?

 

[thaddeus6th]

Always feel a bit sleepy after early afternoon exercise.

Anyway, what do you have planned for the painter?

 

[The Judge]

What are the likely consequences of each option, and which of those would help you to the denouement?

Leaving the picture, having made her own sketch of it, means that if it is evil, it can start working on people without her knowing, so when she returns some situations/people are different.

Taking the picture might indeed trigger some kind of diplomatic incident if she is caught with it, which might allow other tensions to emerge. As an alternative, if no one realises it has gone, then perhaps as it's with her it starts working its evil on her or on the place where she goes to do the research, which in turn leads to further problems. Or perhaps someone could steal it from her thinking it valuable. Or it could be lost -- so she thinks -- when baggage falls into a ravine. Or she could take it thinking she could destroy it, though in fact she can't.

Incidentally, why would she worry about letting it out of her sight? Does she have any control over it and how it corrupts people? If not, then presumably whatever mischief it plans would happen whether she stayed or not, and if she did take it, she must be concerned it would work its evil elsewhere, so perhaps she might think it's better to leave it under lock and key while she's away.

Also, how long does she intend to be gone? If it's only a couple of days, then she could rationalise that she can risk not standing watch over it for the time. If it's a month, she's perhaps more likely to think she ought to take it with her.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Is she good enough to make a forgery and replace it?

And I'm of the opinion talking of plots helps them progress - often by helping the writer have their own ideas

 

[paranoid marvin]

Ok how about this. Most paintings have the signature of the painter. On this one there's a symbol or weird signature. It's this that she copies in order to locate its origins, as only by finding out who painted it will they find its purpose.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

painters using a symbol instead of their signature is still done today.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I agree re the caution of plot-discussing, and I don't really have any advice, but I just wanted to say I loved the set-up and idea, and it sounds really interesting. It also made me think of all the conspiracy stuff you hear about the Vatican museum/vaults.

pH

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I love the set-up, too.

Maybe she makes a quick copy and leaves it behind. She may decide that since it is locked away where no one will see it (or very few, do they have to be framed?) there will be less chance of it exerting its evil influence. This would add some urgency to her mission, since she wants to learn all she can about the painting and still get back before the day when the pictures are displayed in some public area (perhaps she knows when this is scheduled to happen).

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

Yes take the picture with her - simplest way to arrange it is to suggest that it was damaged and needs repair, and she being a painter can repair it. However, ignoring the occult overtones, why would someone present a butt ugly painting to a foreign prince in the first place? You're trying to please him aren't you?

Cheers, Greg.

 

[Toby Frost]

Thanks everyone – your thoughts are much appreciated!

Phychotick – Ah, yes, good point… The answer is that it’s taken out at an informal after-dinner talk, and the ambassadors assume that it’s been put in by mistake and don’t say anything, not wanting to admit an error. The picture isn’t hideous – it’s well-enough made, but the composition is strange and it unsettles rather than disgusts. It looks like a much less good and creepier version of The Arnolfini Wedding, by the way.

Anya – I think you’re right. I didn’t explain myself very well in the original post. What I’m wary about is when a person often says “Can I do this?” or “Is this a good idea?”. Unfortunately, the answer is probably “Yes, just make a good job of it!”

Judge – the reason she is worried is sheer paranoia. She is very much the junior partner in the deputation, and hasn’t got any proof besides on odd set of coincidences. She’s also not much of a doer in an obvious heroic way, and isn’t really the sort to have adventures apart from being a painter. Also, her knowledge of the occult is minimal, so she doesn’t really know what it will do, but that she ought to be around to stop it if needs be. And of course it won't help her career to start looking crazy. I like the idea of urgency that you and Teresa suggest.

But this has got me thinking. There are lots of ways that it could go, but I think the one I like best is that she leaves without the picture. It suits her character – she’s very intelligent, but no expert in subterfuge, and lacks the confidence to tell anyone of her suspicions, so it would sit well with that. Besides, this subplot is something of an attempt to contrast with more “normal” adventure-type plots. I’ve always been interested in odd pictures – perhaps it comes from Lovecraft’s talk about weird geometry. Things like The Dumas Club or the 12 keys of Basil Valentine are fascinating – and far more sinister, I think, than the usual stuff about Dark Lords and red demons.