Sunday, August 14, 2022

The Portrait of Captain Gregg

Several years ago we posted an article on the whereabouts of the oil painting of Captain Gregg from the 1947 film classic The Ghost and Mrs. MuirThis post ( Whatever Became of the Portrait of Captain Gregg? ) is one of our most viewed posts and I was surprised by how much interest film fans have in that particular painting. My sister and I have long considered The Ghost and Mrs. Muir to be one of our favorite films but we had not known that it is considered to be a favorite by many. Two things most fans like best about it is the beautiful setting - Gull Cottage at Whitecliff-by-the-Sea - and the portrait of Captain Gregg that came with the house that Mrs. Muir rented. 

Several people commented that they would like to own the portrait of Captain Gregg but, if you read the article, you will see that it no longer exists as it was seen in the film, having been painted over with the likeness of Edward Mulhare for use in the 1968 television series The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. 

Since even a print of this handsome captain was unattainable, I decided to paint a version for myself. It's been a good 15 years since I have painted in oils but the result turned out fairly well....Captain Gregg himself would have been pleased, methinks. 

It took a few days to make and, after the painting was finished, I scanned it. Then, with the magic of Picasa ( Google's now-obsolete photo editing software ), I enhanced the portrait. You can buy it now on Etsy as a digital download for $6.99. The resulting file size is large enough to make a 36" x 45" print from, so anyone can print it on canvas and have their very own "Portrait of Captain Gregg" hanging in their seaside retreat. 

There is no guarantee that the ghost of Captain Gregg will emerge when you hang it up, but it will make a nice conversation piece nonetheless. 

Click here to view the listing on Etsy.

3 comments:

  1. What a brilliant idea! I hope you make nice amount of profit on this.

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    1. Oh goodness, I doubt that...but it was fun painting it! I feel like doing another painting now on the portrait of Captain Steinmetz ( from Herbie Rides Again ).

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    2. I just spent an hour online trying to find a print of the Captain Steinmetz painting with no luck. I would totally buy a print if you made one!

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