Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/St. Simeon Stylites

St. Simeon Stylites
W.E.F. Britten - Alfred, Lord Tennyson - St. Simeon Stylites.jpg illustration by W. E. F. Britten for Alfred Tennyson's poem St. Simeon Stylites, based on Simeon Stylites, the first of the pillar saints.

"And yet I know not well, For that the evil ones come here, and say, 'Fall down, O Simeon; thou hast suffered long For ages and for ages!'" ]]
 * Reason:An excellent photogravure, very illustrative of both the many strengths and occasional flaws of the process. Illustrates a major poem.
 * Articles this image appears in:Simeon Stylites, Photogravure, Stylites, St. Simeon Stylites (poem), W. E. F. Britten
 * Creator:W. E. F. Britten


 * Support as nominator -- Shoemaker's Holiday Over 213 FCs served 08:18, 12 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Comment. My apologies for doing this, as this was the case with some of your earlier nominations, but I have a question or comment. The image is of unquestionable encyclopedic value, but I feel difficulty in evaluating it as an example of photogravure. A reviewer describes his work as having "power of graceful composition and sympathey with his subject". Having looked at other examples of photogravure on the internet, I'm not sure what makes this an "excellent" one, and how it 'illustrates the many strengths and weaknesses of the process'. This isn't a criticism, or an !oppose, rather a call for further comment from someone unfamiliar with this type of artwork. I'm sure many here are equally unfamiliar. Mostlyharmless (talk) 10:00, 12 October 2009 (UTC)
 * It's an opinion, of course, but I think it does a good job of showing the delicate tones the process allows, and uses them to very good effect. Remember that the only practical alternatives to phottogravure are engravings - which would have a very different character, half-toning, which would have notably less resolution, or a lithograph, which would likely rob this image of a lot of the spontaneity and vitality since lithographs have to be meticulously planned out at the start. It also shows what does appear to be the characteristic graininess of photogravures, although, unlike this previous (annd perhaps more typical) photogravure FP, W.E.F Britten uses this to his advantage with charcoal-sketch-like art, making the reproduction believable as an original. See also the Canterville Ghost photogravure FP, and my next planned FPC nomination, also by Britten. Shoemaker's Holiday Over 213 FCs served 10:44, 12 October 2009 (UTC)
 * And, yes, I'm afraid all those examples are also my stuff, but at least they show three different artists. Note that the image for An Ideal Husband, File:Oscar_Wilde_-_An_Ideal_Husband_-_You_brute!_You_coward!.jpg was promoted on illustrative and encycopedic grounds more than artistic: The play in question has no grand spectacle, limiting what can be done with illustration, and, perhaps unsurprisingly given that, has very rarely been illustrated. From my experience, I'd probably consider it a fairly typical photogravure, which may make it a useful baseline. Shoemaker's Holiday Over 213 FCs served 11:17, 12 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Support. Those are certainly full answers. I was tending towards supporting on EV, but I'll take your opinion on technical merit as well. On the basis of your last comment SH, I wonder if the EV of the image in photogravure would be increased by the insertion of other images which show different applications of the technique. Mostlyharmless (talk) 12:10, 12 October 2009 (UTC)
 * It probably could be, but I'm a little worried about original research if I try to discuss them. I have some Gilbert Holiday photogravures, I should try and get them prepared, and add one of them and the Canterville Ghost ones to the article (the Holiday are in a similar style to the Ideal Husband, but on a grander scale, with a better subject and art, and are by a notable artist). Trouble is I have to use the university scanners, and they can be hard to get good results out of. Shoemaker's Holiday Over 213 FCs served 14:32, 12 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Oppose I really wasn't inspired to review this at first, but seeing as it was solicited at talkpage, I kind of see it as a below-par illustration by a fairly minor artist. Sorry! --mikaultalk 09:46, 16 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Support mainly for ev at the photogravure article. Durova  327 05:02, 17 October 2009 (UTC)

--Makeemlighter (talk) 11:46, 19 October 2009 (UTC)