My (33NB) aunt (deceased) was a prominent figure painter. Her art features people with exaggerated proportions, sometimes in contorted positions. You could call it almost call her style absurdist, but it is very unique to her. She passed away over twenty years ago, so her work is a finite resource.
My cousin (38F) gave away several of my aunt’s pieces to old friends last year. One of those friends (70ish M) accepted a piece. We have since learned that he had the painting altered when he framed it, so that a "confusing" part was cropped from view.
My cousin and I are both upset by this choice. It feels disrespectful to the artist’s vision to change the piece.
My mother (73F) whose sister made the art, says she doesn’t think it matters.
I am thinking of politely telling the friend that he should offer some kind of compensation to my cousin, since he changed the art, which was not the expectation when it was given. WIBTA?
UPDATE
I checked with my mom. It looks like he had the part he didn’t like folded over, rather than cut off. This makes me feel way better.
Thank you to everyone who gave their opinion. It would have been an asshole move to get involved.
Info: Was the painting itself actually cut, or does the way it sits in the frame just hide some of it?
YTA – When you give something away, it’s the recipient’s to do with as they please.
I can understand being bothered by the piece being altered, but if you or your cousin wanted it preserved then you should have kept it. There is absolutely no grounds to demand compensation for a piece you gave away.
YTA. How is this any of your business?
While the dude shouldn’t have altered it, the reality is he is the owner and he chose to do that to the piece. Why should he compensate anything? That makes no sense.
Take this as a lesson to document her pieces properly and catalogue them so you have clear unaltered pieces in case they get lost, damaged, or changed in the future.
If it was given to him that means it belongs to him. It’s no longer yours or your cousin’s, he has the right to do whatever he pleases with it. He doesn’t owe you any “compensation” for changing something that belongs to him.
If you were worried about it being altered, why did you give it away?
YBTA
YWBTA. Once a gift is given it’s theirs to do with as they please. Your cousin gifted the piece to the recipient and unless they signed documents stating that they wouldn’t alter the work you have zero recourse in this situation.
YWBTA.
Once something is given away, it belongs to that person and it’s up to them if they want to change it.
yes YWBTA
that’s a ludicrous suggestion. once you give something away its not yours anymore
YWBTA. It’s none of your business.
Light YWBTA. Compensation will not un-vandalize your aunt’s painting. It is unfortunately unfixable. Your cousin has not sought compensation and you suggesting it would put her in an awkward position.
While other commenters are correct that legally the owner could do as he saw fit with the painting—I think from a moral standpoint he is the much bigger AH here. He accepted a painting in good faith for free from your cousin since she believed that he as a friend of her mother’s would cherish it. Rather than cherish it, he damaged it to make it more to his taste and then was crass enough to show off his “improvements” to the artist’s family.
However, this is a situation where you can’t make it better, you can only add shit to the pile.
This really helps. Thank you for validating the experience and for the advice. I appreciate it a lot.
Saying anything about what anyone does with something given to them (ESPECIALLY by someone other than you!) WOULD make you an AH.
There might be some sort of sentimental value to YOU, but to anyone else, it’s just art. THEIR art, and if they don’t like a ‘confusing’ part, it’s theirs to ‘crop’ out.
YTA.
It’s not your painting, and not your business.
It’s tragic, yes… as well as uncouth… ignorant. But it’s not your business.
YWBTA once someone else takes possession from the artist, it is out of your control.