The Art History Mystery Challenge

Welcome to our totally disorganized art museum! The challenge is to help us identify all the masterworks in our virtual museum. We'll post a piece of the painting and one clue to get you started. Can you name the artist and the title of the painting?

Pieces of the painting and clues to the artist's identity will be added every 24 hours until we have a winner, then the next painting in our collection will be posted. Feel free to use any resources at your disposal to help in your search. Challenge winners will receive a shiny award badge that we will add below their profile image. You will retain this award until someone else wins the award.

The AHM Challenge is open to all forum members, not just ws oil painters, so join in and have some fun with us!

If you would like to host a AHM Challenge painting; please send a PM to the Challenge Moderator Callie to receive instructions and notice when to post your painting. Be prepared to check in frequently while hosting a challenge!



Clue: An award winning French painter

Thank you Callie for taking on this challenge! I'll be gone for the day but if it hasn't been solved later I'll go searching for the painting.

I hope you get a chance to join in Janet - Warning! This can be addictive!

I think I have it!

The Romans of the Decadence by Thomas Couture.

How did you get it so quickly. Did the name have anything to do with it?

Judy

I just started looking through all the French painters... their are a lot. Hmmm yes same family name... intentional... maybe. It probably would have given Callie a reason to raz me if I didn't get it. Wish I would have inherited his talent as well as his name.

Congratulations! I wondered if he might be an ancestor of yours.
Well, that went quicker than I had anticipated

How about introducing a handicap system
Jack

Here's some info about Thomas Couture:

Thomas Couture (December 21, 1815 – March 30, 1879) was an influential French history painter and teacher.
He was born at Senlis Oise, France and at age 11, Thomas Couture's family moved to Paris where he would study at the industrial arts school (École des Arts et Métiers) and later at the École des Beaux-Arts. He failed the prestigious Prix de Rome competition at the École six times, but he felt the problem was with the École, not himself. Couture finally did win the prize in 1837.

Read more (and see other paintings) here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Couture

Hey Couture is just like me. It's always someone else's fault

Janet - As you can see, I finally got your award up. But I keep getting an error message when I try to take it off of my profile - I swear! I'm really not trying to keep it!

Callie, I'll take care of it.

Can't wait for the next challenge.

Hi Dale, I'll get a new one up first thing tomorrow morning.

All right Dale - the game is on!
Thanks Janet!