Artist selling drawings of my house

[TechGinny]

I've just discovered that an artist local to the area is selling drawings of my property on her website. It's not easily viewed by the road, which means she would have had to enter the land to draw it.

I'm feeling quite annoyed about this, as she has never made contact to ask permission.

AIBU unreasonable to feel like this, and would you make contact to ask her to remove it from her website?

Some very odd responses here indeed. Not sure why you're getting such a slating- I assume it's because you have a family house which is enough to get a lot of MN'ers juices flowing. They love to bring people down a peg or two whether or not it's needed!

There is obviously an issue if someone has trespassed on your land to sketch or take a photograph without permission. I can't understand why anyone would think otherwise. I too would feel very uncomfortable about that and I don't have any land to trespass on (yet! 😉).

Don't worry, I'm not worried about the slatings... my ex PIL had a massive chip on their shoulder and were totally arseholes, so I'm used to it

No reply from the artist as yet - I sent a friendly message asking whether she always works on location on her local pieces or if she sometimes works from photos. I'll update if I do hear anything back.

@bravelittlepenguin

Some very odd responses here indeed. Not sure why you're getting such a slating- I assume it's because you have a family house which is enough to get a lot of MN'ers juices flowing. They love to bring people down a peg or two whether or not it's needed!

There is obviously an issue if someone has trespassed on your land to sketch or take a photograph without permission. I can't understand why anyone would think otherwise. I too would feel very uncomfortable about that and I don't have any land to trespass on (yet! 😉).

She’s getting a slating because she has no evidence at all of trespass, and it seems far more likely that a comparatively old house has had someone take a photo or sketch of it in its history, and for the artist to have had access to one of them, particularly if it’s an attractive or architecturally notable house?

Don’t assume everyone is envious. Some of us are doing well enough ourselves thank you very much. That doesn’t mean we can’t remind the OP she has a lovely house and it’s flattering people would want a painting of it.

Why would someone event want to buy a drawing of some random house? Seems a bit niche.

I would think it quite flattering.

@SeriouslyISuppose she has plenty of reason to assume there might be trespass as she has said in her posts- it's a family house and isn't visible from the road or via google earth etc.

In any event those aren't the posts I was referring to- there are a whole slew of posts telling her that even if there was trespass she should just get over it and move on.

@Hdhdjejdj

Don’t assume everyone is envious. Some of us are doing well enough ourselves thank you very much. That doesn’t mean we can’t remind the OP she has a lovely house and it’s flattering people would want a painting of it.

Whether or not it's flattering is completely missing the point. If a person has a particularly lovely face/child/pet etc is any random Tom dick and Harry entitled to take photos/paint pictures and place them on the internet for sale and you should just be grateful?!

[quote bravelittlepenguin]@SeriouslyISuppose she has plenty of reason to assume there might be trespass as she has said in her posts- it's a family house and isn't visible from the road or via google earth etc.

In any event those aren't the posts I was referring to- there are a whole slew of posts telling her that even if there was trespass she should just get over it and move on. [/quote]
But it’s had a hundred years of visitors, inhabitants, extended family etc! The artist might have come across a photo taken by her great-aunt in 1930, or a sketch by an artistically-minded relative from the 50s. It’s surely at least as likely as the artist rocking up along a long private, wooded drive and sneaking a photo or sketch while assuming no one would see…

@garlictwist

Why would someone event want to buy a drawing of some random house? Seems a bit niche.

Niche?

@SeriouslyISuppose yup it's definitely possible and worth considering as an explanation. She's still entitled to wonder if someone has trespassed though and, if they have, to feel uncomfortable about that. OP has approached the artist in what sounds like a very reasonable manner not making any assumptions so I'm sure she will get that answer if that's the correct one. It's just boring to read post after post of people saying she's not allowed to be concerned about trespass and to be "grateful" for the flattery. I certainly don't have any land to worry about but if someone was sat in my garden painting my house I would definitely want to know and be asked for permission. I can't understand why everyone feels that's an unreasonable position to take.

If you have concerns you’ve done the right thing by contacting the artist to clarify matters. However, in all honesty, I’m not sure I’d care if it was my house.

My daughter is an artist, and if I’m out and about and see something I think she might like to draw I take a photo of it, my job includes going to peoples homes and so occasionally the pictures will be of houses. There’s no law against it.

"But it’s had a hundred years of visitors, inhabitants, extended family etc! The artist might have come across a photo taken by her great-aunt in 1930, or a sketch by an artistically-minded relative from the 50s. It’s surely at least as likely as the artist rocking up along a long private, wooded drive and sneaking a photo or sketch while assuming no one would see…"

If that's the case, all the artist needs to do is to tell @TechGinny where she got the image she used for the picture, @SeriouslyISuppose - and she may yet do so. But the OP has searched extensively, and hasn't found any photos of her house online, so it's unlikely the internet was the source of the photo. If the picture came from a book, or an old, family photo album, that the artist has had access to, that will set the OP's mind at rest, and may be something she'd be interested to see.

But for the moment, until the artist replies, the OP still has that nagging thought that someone has come onto her private property to photograph her home, without asking permission - and I can absolutely understand why she finds that unsettling.

@garlictwist

Why would someone event want to buy a drawing of some random house? Seems a bit niche.

www.countryliving.com/real-estate/g3225/famous-paintings/ Quite common really!

@owlbethere

My daughter is an artist, and if I’m out and about and see something I think she might like to draw I take a photo of it, my job includes going to peoples homes and so occasionally the pictures will be of houses. There’s no law against it.

You're wrong there actually- unless you've been given consent to take photographs of the houses whilst you're there then you're not entitled to take photos of houses for your daughter to use. Your other examples where you are out and about and taking photos of random things for her to paint is different as presumably it isn't private property. This is all going back to the same point though- if the artist was on the property without consent then the artist wasn't entitled to take photos or paint the house without permission. If the artist got the image by another means then it's a different story.

With so much acute suffering in the world that would be alleviated by the provision of adequate housing, I find the concerns expressed on this thread pitiable. Arguing the toss about the legal implications of someone painting a picture of someone's darling house? You don't know you're born. How fucking depressing.

@bravelittlepenguin the law says if I have been granted permission to be on the property, then unless the home owner objects I can take photos if I want to. I have only done it maybe twice in 10 years of the occasional picture I think she might like, but it isn’t illegal.

@bravelittlepenguin www.photographers-resource.co.uk/photography/Legal/Access_Rights.htm

@baroqueandblue

With so much acute suffering in the world that would be alleviated by the provision of adequate housing, I find the concerns expressed on this thread pitiable. Arguing the toss about the legal implications of someone painting a picture of someone's darling house? You don't know you're born. How fucking depressing.

There's always one isn't there. You know it is possible for the two things to co-exist? You can have concerns about lack of adequate housing and find that to be appalling whilst also being able to have a view on something less material that directly affects only one person. Or do you shut down any conversation that doesn't have global implications on a macro socio-economic level with your mates too?

@bravelittlepenguin you may not be grateful if someone wanted to take a photo of your face or house but that doesn’t mean you should be upset either. It really don’t think I would mind and evidentially others agree.

I’d be a bit miffed if she entered my property without permission not about the painting.
Honestly if your a bit miffed I’d possibly message to say while the painting is nice that I’m future it would be better if she asked permission to enter your land etc. Definitely wouldn’t spend £40 for a painting of my own house lol

How many of you would moan if someone stood on your driveway and photographed your home?
I think most people would be pretty put out so how is OP being unreasonable?

@pinkstripeycat

How many of you would moan if someone stood on your driveway and photographed your home? I think most people would be pretty put out so how is OP being unreasonable?

It would only bother me if they were casing the joint for a subsequent burglary.

You're wrong there actually- unless you've been given consent to take photographs of the houses whilst you're there then you're not entitled to take photos of houses for your daughter to use

Do you have the legal authority for that, @bravelittlepenguin?