FAO Ricardo: PCL cover?

Is the image of the flowers on the cover of PCL from a famous painting, or was it originally created for the album cover?

I only ask because I was flipping through my roommate's glossy catalogue of sample student work from the Academy of Art College in San Francisco and I spotted the image. Some woman named Abigail Barclay has a piece in there (under the fashion department section?!) that has the exact same floral image from the cover of PCL, with slightly different colors and grainier (as if done with colored pencils). Atop the image are a few colored bits of paper or something and a few clumps of yarn. Inexplicable what it all has to do with fashion (and I wonder if the college knows Saville's work inspired it, as the color bars in the upper-right corner are still there but almost covered up), but I thought it was quite an interesting place to spot PCL.

Don't exactly recall the name Fantin-Latour from my school days, but he specialized in still life paintings, here's some more info.

A Basket Of Roses

It's a painting by Henri Fantin-Latour. This particular one, called 'A Basket of Roses', is in the National Gallery though Monsieur Fantin-Latour was very fond of painting roses and similar paintings can be seen in other galleries. Check out www.nationalgallery.org.uk and search for Fantin Latour and Basket of Roses and you can see the picture in all its glory.

Thanks for answering the question. Still, it's interesting to note that this catalogue piece still had the same color bars from the top-right corner of the PCL cover, so it's clear that the woman who made the work must be a New Order fan (or at least a fan of Saville's work, though it would be hard to separate the two).

I always thought Saville was overated, PCL was hot his painting, he just stuck some blocks of colour on it.

My 2 year old son could and has done better

Originally posted by Mike I always thought Saville was overated, PCL was hot his painting, he just stuck some blocks of colour on it.My 2 year old son could and has done better

Saville himself added the colour blocks, thus introducing the "Code", but I always thought it was fantastic!!! It's NOT about Whether or not it his painting...but rather what he did with it!

DAMN!!! Lighten UP man!!!:)

And don't forget, that painting belongs to the people of Britain, and the people of Britain want it.

so it wasn't meant to be sold outside of the UK?

Originally posted by death of art And don't forget, that painting belongs to the people of Britain, and the people of Britain want it.

Despite that fact that a Frenchman made it?

Anyway, I agree that Saville is super overrated. Sure, I like the PCL cover a lot, but that's hardly the sort of skilled labor I'd expect from a professional.

At the end of the day part of the "mystique" was created by Saville's artwork, for me anyway.

Originally posted by PWS At the end of the day part of the "mystique" was created by Saville's artwork, for me anyway.

I agree, especially his Joy Division designs. Thought he lost the plot with Technique and Republic, but returned to form with Get Ready. I'm not too clued up on this design lark but has he designed ALL of New Orders releases?

Originally posted by Marcus Germanicus > Originally posted by PWS> At the end of the day part of the "mystique" was created by Saville's artwork, for me anyway.

I agree, especially his Joy Division designs. Thought he lost the plot with Technique and Republic, but returned to form with Get Ready. I'm not too clued up on this design lark but has he designed ALL of New Orders releases?

Yes.

Not "Video 586". (Cover by Jon Wozencroft).

Originally posted by death of art Not "Video 586". (Cover by Jon Wozencroft).

Oi!! Alrighty then!

Only on the label. Would Sav have designed that?

Originally posted by One Brain There are some nice extras on the UK edition of "24 Hour Party People" DVD and one of them is called "Peter Saville Gallery", where Tony Wilson and Saville himself discuss some of the classic graphic designs created for Factory. I've recorded the audio regarding "Power, Corruption & Lies" and it has been uploaded HERE. Please note their comments about the "ownership" of the painting already mentioned here. ;)

Sorry for dredging this thread back up, but did you get my email on this, Ricardo?

Thanks very much, sir! This will help considerably. As per the "Is New Order postmodern?" thread a while back, I'm planning on writing a paper on the PCL cover as postmodern in regard to Baudrillard's theories. Thanks again!