In 2010 a Dutch production company were putting the final preparations together for their 30 second TV commercial, and gave Van Gogh Studio a ring. Could they rent a Van Gogh reproduction?

Van Gogh Studio in Dutch TV commercial

Dropje?

The commercial tells the story of Klene, he makes the famous Dutch sweet, dropje. For those who are unfamiliar with it, it’s something close to liquorice with a salty twist. This particular type are in the shape of a coin, and Klene makes real coins, not fake ones, so no counterfeits, only originals!

The reproduction never made it home

We see the many people living close by Klene, who is working hard in his laboratory looking partly wise professor, and partly elderly hunk. He’s bothered by the goings on around him, and when he his neighbours doing things, not quite authentic.

A woman singing out of key. Now in Dutch the word for inauthentic is ‘vals’ and is often used to mean ‘out of tune’. A man being thrown out of a casino for cheating. And there is a man painting, but hang on, he’s painting a well-known painting – none other than Sunflowers by Van Gogh, and loaned to the production by Van Gogh Studio.

As you’ll agree it looks pretty good in its close-up. The painting though, never made it back to Van Gogh Studio. A crew member on set was so impressed he purchased it.

Passing yourself of as the artist

Now of course it can only be ‘fake’ or ‘inauthentic’ if the artist is trying to pass himself or herself off as the owner of the work. Van Gogh himself painted many reproductions of others work too, I might add.

Does the artist in the commercial not realise that about one billion people are familiar with that work? Oh advertising, you are always playing with us!

On air

The commercial aired on Dutch TV and cinema screens in 2010/11. It is not the first time Van Gogh reproductions have been used on screen.

If you see a previous blog post, Van Gogh on Film #1, we talk about the film Vincent and Theo and how the production had many, many of his artworks reproduced and used in the film as if real. You can see if for yourself here.  

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    01-09-2016 23:30     Comments ( 0 )
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