Empty picture- Portraits- General Info & Links

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 127112


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Pet" <don_john at w...> wrote:
> ... In the room that Ron and Harry are sharing at Grimmauld Place 
> there is an empty picture that's always sniggering (Bloomsbury, p. 62,
> p. 151). ...
> 
> So, we've been wondering if and in what form Sirius will show up
> again. What if the invisible occupant is teenage Sirius?...
> 
> Pet

bboyminn:

Others have already answered that the Character in the Portrait is
Phineas Nigellus, and are drifting off on the subject of Portraits in
general.

For anyone who is interested in the Nature of Portaits, here is my
updated link list to past discussion, and some additional notes.

These links will usually take you to the middle of a discussion,
remember to read the post before and after the linked post to see what
others had to say on the subject.

Or jump to the very Short Version Summary at the end of this post.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In any event, here is a list I complied of links about the nature of
portraits, most of which, I think, are my own posts on the matter.


..., if you are interested in a more indepth analysis of Photos vs
Paintings in the WW, please see my published works.

Thu Sep 11, 2003 6:14 pm
Re: photo vs. painting in magical world ...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/80505

Sat Aug 2, 2003 12:20 pm
Portraits
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/74923
Good thread, lots of discussion. See my post later in the thread

Tue Aug 12, 2003 2:38 pm
Paintings vs. Photos
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/76735
Long thread with many sub-threads.
My posts are in a sub-thread.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/76837

Date: Tue Oct 5, 2004  1:25 am
Subject: Re: Black magic -- effigy
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/114806
Touches on the use of living tissue in creating Living Portraits.

Date: Sun Oct 10, 2004  2:26 am
Subject: Re: GH re-re-revisited - Portrait Spy
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/115319
On the Nature of Portrait and how they work.

Date: Tue Oct 26, 2004  5:08 pm
Subject: Re: Dumbledore- Time, Wisdom, & Spies
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/116492
Dabbles in the subject of time and ends with Portrait comments.

Date: Wed Oct 27, 2004  2:08 am
Subject: Re: Dumbledore- Time, Wisdom, & Spies - Portraits
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/116528
Expands on the Nature of Photos & Portraits using analogy to TV & Film.

In addition, we have new statements by JKR from Edinburgh in here
latest book reading.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Q: All the paintings we have seen at Hogwarts are of dead people. They
seem to be living through their portraits. How is this so? If there
was a painting of Harry's parents, would he be able to obtain advice
from them?

A: That is a very good question. They are all of dead people; they are
not as fully realised as ghosts, as you have probably noticed.

The place where you see them really talk is in Dumbledore's office,
primarily; the idea is that the previous headmasters and
headmistresses leave behind a faint imprint of themselves. They leave
their aura, almost, in the office and they can give some counsel to
the present occupant, but it is not like being a ghost. They repeat
catchphrases, almost.

The portrait of Sirius' mother is not a very 3D personality; she is
not very fully realised. She repeats catchphrases that she had when
she was alive.

If Harry had a portrait of his parents it would not help him a great
deal. If he could meet them as ghosts, that would be a much more
meaningful interaction, but as Nick explained at the end of Phoenix_I
am straying into dangerous territory, but I think you probably know
what he explained_there are some people who would not come back as
ghosts because they are unafraid, or less afraid, of death.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Recently, were discussed whether Sirius would return to the story as a
Portrait. Although not everyone agreed, most of us concluded that a
portrait might be long on personality, but it would be very short on
substance. JKR's recent comments seem to confirm that.

Short Version Summary-

This ties in very nicely with my posted theories that characters in
photos and portraits are like actors in a play.

Portraits are like the movie version of that persons life, they have a
significant degree of personality, and some substance, but they are
not the complete person.

'Actors' in a photograph have the equivalent character and substance
as that of a person in 15 or 30 second TV commerial. You do get a
sense of their personality, but there is virtually zero substance to
them.

So, basically, photos don't say much because they are idiots.

Hope that helps.

Steve/bboyminn