Iceanna, I drooled over those fireplace surrounds in the gallery - breath-taking antiques. Franksmom and Kswl - I do not want to hang those portraits over the fireplace. The fireplace is gas and emits a lot of heat - and a lot of it goes up (ask the poor fresh wreath I hung over the fireplace this Christmas). The woman is my grandmother and probably is 115 years old. I am afraid of the heat. Kswl - there are only two chairs upholstered the same - the two flanking the fireplace. I gave a lot of thought to comments here - a lot - and then DH decided to go shopping with me on Friday. He very rarely goes as he figures everything is a matter of opinion - and he couldn't figure out why I wanted to replace the piece currently there. Anyway - off we went in the snow. I looked at a lot of prints and saw this one. Were the colors good? Yes, perfect. More importantly, did it reflect me. I looked at the scene and immediately thought old, calm, serene, could almost see people walking up the street in days gone by. Life is more than intense right now and I am going for quiet at home! So we bought it knowing we could return it -but alone it seemed to small. We trooped through a few more stores and started looking at scones. He liked these as they mimic the fireplace surround which we do love. We came home and I told him I was going to wait until my DILs came today - he told me he liked it and "just hang it" - so we did. I do like it. Is it forever? Probably not. Will I always keep looking? Yes, but I do like it. The sconces look amazing lit (am going to look for battery-operated candles). So for now, I like it and certainly better than the purple print, which now has a new home. I don't know how the colors are going to come through but here goes: For years I have been wanting to take the ugly mirrors off my dresser - the picture is perfect - picks up the colors in the comforter: I still need to "dress" the dresser ---

Too high, too small ; I agree with all of the above. Above the mantle is prime space/location, you shouldn't have to merchandise around the picture to make it look right. I disagree with adding more matting, possibly you should look for a print that can be framed with all of the image showing, this particular print looks like the matting is hiding some of the picture by cutting off parts of the trees, not too effective, imo. The colors do work in your room, the red is great.

Of course, the issue here isn't print vs. original. The issue is one of the image itself... Of course it's fabulous and beautiful and that's why it's been reproduced over so many years in so many ways. I think the comparison is with the Mona Lisa or even the Statue of Liberty. Both beautiful images, both are extremely recognizable and have been loved by many for many years. No question about anyone owning the original, so it's a matter of reproduction and in what medium. Having a picture of the statue of liberty hanging in your house is one thing. Andy Warhol morphed the iconic image and having it hang in a room is another. So would be a statue of liberty snow globe. And of course it isn't a question of whether she could hang it or not...she can hang anything she dang well pleases. And it's not a question of anyone looking down on you as you're fabulous and have done fabulous things with a fabulous house. The question is really one of will it get you where you want to go with the room...if it will enhance or diminish your vision of the room, what you want it to say and what feelings you want it to evoke in the people who occupy it. I know you like the unusual and unexpected, and all the "maine" pics in themselves become expected and iconic and I can understand you not wanting to go there. I also understand how an iconic image can become the unexpected...because it is so iconic, no one will use it in a formal setting, so you will. So I guess I'm changing my mind. If you like it, if the family likes it, it's not expensive and can always be replaced when and if you find something you like better. For me, I'd turn it into a craft project...take the poster, cut it up into squares and mount it on blocks of various heights to make it more textural so it keeps the image, the colors, the theme, but makes it more unique and less kitsch. But that's me. BTW, I too am surprised at how many posts this thread has gotten! Art definitely strikes home, no?

My husband wanted to put up this ugly reproduction of a horse race painting that he found at a garage sale, I told him "give me a week, I'll find something better online!" I wanted a modern look, some realisitc photography, but I didn't want black and white because we have so many b&w prints in the house already. I finally bought a color print of a park scene (some park in NYC, I'm not sure which) at a web site called Brooklyn Prints. Every mantle is different, of course; I had just enough space to put up a 16x20 print in a wood frame. Our fireplace is for decoration only, so we didn't have to worry about heat damage to the frame or the print, but it is something to think about too. Here is a link that might be useful: Brooklyn Prints