Marc Chagall, "Acrobat"

Marc Chagall, The Acrobat, 1930; Marc Chagall Museum, Nice.

There seems to be a trend these days toward "enhancing" artwork photos by adding a yellow cast and heightening the contrast. Photos do vary in quality, so in some cases, it might be useful to brighten a dark photo or add back a little color to a faded image. But efforts should be made to retain the original coloration and to intensify rather than obscure existing details. In the Chagall reproduction below, possibly a highly altered digital image, the deepened reds, yellow clouds, blotchy background, and brownish tint only detract from the emotion, dynamics and overall intention of the work. If you're interested, the museum has a short audio about the painting, which is called "L'Acrobat." The audio is available in several languages.

Altered version of a painting by Marc Chagall.