The Painting in Adama's Quarters

Zor · Post by **Zor** » 2006-08-02 12:07pm

Found on Battlestar Galactica Wiki just recently, the Painting the Captain Adama has in his quarters.

Although it's nice, i dearly hope that the BSG: Caprica does not have Cylons fighting Human Soldiers armed with spears and swords.

Zor

DocHorror · Post by **DocHorror** » 2006-08-02 12:23pm

That is incredibly cool.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2006-08-02 01:50pm

TOS:BSG Cylons did carry swords though so it would make sense if the new series had them carry them as well but as a secondary weapon like the original series.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2006-08-02 01:55pm

The new centurions wouldn't need swords much, they've got huge claws. The older model, though...

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2006-08-02 01:57pm

NecronLord wrote:The new centurions wouldn't need swords much, they've got huge claws. The older model, though...

Sorry I meant that the Cylons in the Caprica series would have them.

Nephtys · Post by **Nephtys** » 2006-08-02 02:33pm

You know, you could imagine that scene as some old style painting about the french or whatnot, just with a few space buildings, armored soldiers and cylons. I think that's incredibly awesome as well that they have that.

We just need a cylon general riding a horse with one of those red strip eyes.

Azazal · Post by **Azazal** » 2006-08-02 02:35pm

Let me look it up when I get home, but I believe Moore made some comments about the painting and it's background in the NBSG season one companion book

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2006-08-02 03:00pm

The idea of "This has all happened before..." permeates throughout the show. You can look at that painting and instantly recognise the theme, and how history is cyclical. If there had been a medieval history with medieval Cylons, no doubt they would have fought humans with swords and spears rather than guns and nukes. That's just the nature of their conflict, and the artist no doubt sought to represent that by depicting the current Human Cylon war in such a period. In effect it's saying "We've always been at each other's throats, and we always will."

I wouldn't be surprised if the artist happens to be William Adama himself.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2006-08-02 05:22pm

Destructionator XIII wrote:
Stofsk wrote:I wouldn't be surprised if the artist happens to be William Adama himself.
Nah, in Bastille Day, Baltar asked if it was a Monclair original. Adama responded that yes, it was, meaning the artist is someone named Monclair.

The battlestar wiki has a page on it too that says this same thing.

Plus, the thing was signed as well. I wrote that before taking a second look at it.

Galvatron · Post by **Galvatron** » 2006-08-02 05:58pm

Maybe it's supposed to be a symbolic representation of man fighting the cylons with primitive, throwback technology.

CDiehl · Post by **CDiehl** » 2006-08-02 08:43pm

I think it's more an artistic choice. The painter probably considered it more visually striking to portray both sides using swords and spears than firearms, which almost certainly would be more accurate. Also, it seems designed to be a romantic or idealized portrayal of that war, or war in general, making it out to be a noble heroic fight rather than the vicious struggle for survival it surely was.

Nephtys · Post by **Nephtys** » 2006-08-02 11:57pm

CDiehl wrote:I think it's more an artistic choice. The painter probably considered it more visually striking to portray both sides using swords and spears than firearms, which almost certainly would be more accurate. Also, it seems designed to be a romantic or idealized portrayal of that war, or war in general, making it out to be a noble heroic fight rather than the vicious struggle for survival it surely was.

Note the armored human soldiers prominent in the center, wearing full combat gear, compared to unarmored soldiers around them. They're all crowded around a dying guy. An analogy to a dying knight-type general perhaps?

It certainly is a 'glorified' picture, with the lancewielding colonials on that ruined building, the icon still standing. Damn neat.

PrinceofLowLight · Post by **PrinceofLowLight** » 2006-08-03 01:59am

The Colonials' armor is pretty neat. Looks Imperial Guardis. Interesting that they're drawn with sci-fi-y combat armor but medieval weapons.