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?

It's all very well this painting lark, but what happens when people start knocking on OP's door to get a better look at the house they just bought 'on canvas'.
It's about privacy innit and cheek if you ask me.

Out of interest, OP, if the artist had asked your permission in advance, what would you have said?

I'd email her asking her where she got the photo from that she used to draw your house. Assume that's what's she's used and she'll either tell you where she got the image from or have to admit to trespassing.

I'd feel uncomfortable with the idea of someone trespassing too, OP.

If the house has some historical significance, it will probably feature in a few local history books. Some of those are likely to have photographs. So it is possible that the artist hasn't set foot on your land.

Really?
I find that surprising re the Eiffel Tower.

PS That’s not to say I can’t understand your discomfort, I just think this kind of thing is par for the course based on the circumstances you’ve described.

I know where you are coming from OP it would make me uncomfortable too.
It’s not the same thing, but someone recently posted a photo on one of those “nostalgia” Facebook pages for the area, of a couple of young lads in the 70s in my front garden. Then everyone was commenting about it, oh that was so and so, road name…number….
The garden still looks exactly the same, and is quite distinctive, and it was my neighbour that drew my attention to the post. I didn’t really like it at all, it felt quite intrusive. And this was a photo taken in the 70s before I was even born, let alone lived in the house!

I'm bit confused that you say it's a notable house and yet it's apparently not visible from anywhere – how has it got so well known that people draw it and pay money for prints of it, if it's as tucked away as you say?

To be honest, I think it's just part and parcel of living in a historic/interesting building. If it's a notable house of the area then there are likely to be previous pantings or photos of it in existence; she may have copied one of these.

Of course it would have been polite for her to check that you were okay with her selling drawings of it before she started doing so – I I were the artist I think I would have given a print to the owners at that point.

All the people who are ok with this - are you the same people who refuse to answer your front door? Only on mumsnet.

I think it's much more likely that the drawing is taken from a photograph.

There are websites like www.francisfrith.com where you can search by place and subject. If your house has a notable history, it might be on there?

(It's a fascinating collection btw, and well worth a look anyway!)

@BrendaBubbles

In some countries, it's possible to enforce copyright over a building's look. See the Eiffel Tower at night. You can't sell photographs of that legally. I think in the US there are similar rights over numerous skyscrapers.

I believe it's a trademark issue for certain buildings, they have trademarked the image.

I'm not sure if she actually needs permission. If she did, it's likely that she would need permission from the architect, who would be intellectual copyright holder (you bought, but didn't design the building I assume)?

In other words, let's say you had a book with you and you were sat on a park bench. If someone came along and made a drawing of your book and the book cover, if any copyright was infringed, it would be the copyright of the publisher, author or illustrator. You own the book yes, but don't own the intellectual copyright to it. It's the same here (as far as I'm aware).

Trespassing is another thing though. You could ask her not to do that and say you will take action if you see her on your private property.

You say it is difficult to view from the public road. Is it more visible in winter when foliage dies down? There also may be old photographs of the property.

The house I grew up in has been drawn and made into printed postcards and pictures. It is visible from the road and from across a bay, though. As I said, the front of the house is in view of the public so nobody had an issue. It is owned by other people now.

Your situation sounds akin to the Queen being upset people want to take photos of Windsor Castle.

The point being there is no public access to view OPs house. It's on private land deliberately obscured by trees. Why should be allowed to trespass to have a nosy?

As someone said, it could be a drone image 🤷🏽‍♀️

How is that an improvement on personal trespass??? You can't just send a flying camera wherever you like and snap whatever you like!

Mine was painted by a local artist to feature in our local hospice’s calendar. I was chuffed to bits. He did knock on and ask though.

@clairethewitch70 I would have no problem with this. I have also never refused to answer my front door. I am struggling to see the connection.

A photograph of the house could have been taken at any time in the past. The friend/ schoolfriend or relative of some previous occupant.

If the trees aren't all evergreen, they would not give screening in winter.

The artist could have got a picture from a reference book in the library and copied it. Surely you would have noticed someone sitting in your garden with an easel drawing your home?!

I’d feel uncomfortable at the idea of someone I didn’t know sitting examining my house closely enough to paint it. Probably irrational, but it would feel intrusive to me. And I’d be furious if someone decided it was fine to go in my garden without asking, in order to photograph or sketch my home. I’d not feel as badly if my garden extended to several acres, particularly if the pictures were for themselves. And if it was a picture done from a public road or park or whatever then that’d be fine.

I’m really surprised that so many think that this isn’t an invasion of privacy: it would be just like finding a strangers painting of your non-overlooked back garden online.

She could easily have an old photo with the house in it, for innumerate reasons.

As an artist who occasionally takes commissions to paint people’s houses I’m more dumbfounded at the business logic of selling drawings of a house that cannot be seen therefore would appeal to no one but the person living there. Can’t imagine these drawings are flying off the shelves

@elbea

If she has trespassed on private property to draw the picture you could take her to court for trespass.

I know with the National Trust for example, they retain the copyright for photographs taken of their properties from their land. They’ll peruse people who sell pictures online taken without permission.

With NT I suspect the issue is that people entering onto its land are expressly excluded from taking images for commercial gain as part of the conditions for entering onto that land. So in your annual membership or one off ticket price the terms will say no photography for commercial gain.

People here who are saying there's no problem, would you feel the same if you came across a picture being sold of the back of your house, obviously taken from your back garden?

How would that make you feel?

I know I wouldn't like it!

Lots of us can't relate to feeling this way about the front of our house as for most of us, it's there for everyone to see.

But, would you feel the same about a view of your house where they need to trespass to see it? Like your back door?