At the end of the When Doves Cry video, there is a picture of a woman. I've always believed it would make a great poster, for me anyway, so, has it ever been released as one? And who is responsible for it? Prince perhaps?

After recently acquiring the 20th Anniversary edition dvd of Purple Rain, I noticed that it features prominently in the downstairs room that Prince lives in, in the movie. Which is something that I hadn't taken much notice of before.

Is anyone here able to reproduce it, so that I can photocopy it and look into it being made into a poster? Or, point me into the right direction?

you mean that half black/half white face?

isn't it part of the album artwork on the purple rain vinyl album - like part of the inner sleeve? i could totally be imagining it, but i think you can find it there.

I have said this a million times...and I could be wrong...but I keep believing it is the same artist that did a Duran Duran cover..And I don't know the artist's name...does anybody know?

Yes, that's her exactly! I used to own the album years ago, but a friend, now ex-friend, was kind enough to steal it from me. Any ideas/suggestions on how I can track down a good sized image of it online?

Maybe someone here who still has the album, can look at the liner notes. Wouldn't it mention the artist/s responsible?

Tame said:

the artist you're thinking of is nagel, and it's not the same artist who did the when doves cry face.

Unfortunately I have to go now, and won't be back online untill tomorrow
Look forward to any help

Yeah, it's the back of the inner sleeve, on the other side of the lyrics, although half of it is black and reversed out in blue. I love that image; it was a really cool inner sleeve design.

It was also part of the poster that came inside the album:

Classic!
That takes me back to memories my first flat in 89/90 where I had a white brick concrete wall behind my bed. It took about 4 hours, but using scaled up measurements, chalk and pastels, I made a perfect full size replica of it.

Wonder if i still have a photo of it - haven't thought about that pad in years - good times
.
[Edited 7/16/08 21:27pm]

I just went through this whole topic (in my head / searching on Thee Internets) about a month ago. I'd been intrigued by those portraits since seeing "Purple Rain" in 1984 and witnessing, like "rap" said, the additional pictures in The Kid's room.

In the Purple Rain album liner notes, the only possible credit that could relate to the artist possibly responsible is "Dust sleeve painting - Doug Handers." A quick Googling points you next to nowhere (25% of that statistic being right here at prince.org), and anyway I think that credit may refer to the flowery background picture on the album cover, although maybe the same artist did both pix. How unlike the Prince 'organization' to be so vague, eh?

Anyway, if anybody knows further info, please relate it!! Especially if it could lead to those paintings seen in the movie.

In a perfect world, one of the Purple Rain DVD releases would have included an Image Gallery with all sorts of cool art relating to the movie, ala Dreamgirls. But alas, consider the source...

rap said:

I remember back in 85 i bought the mexican vynil of Purple Rain and it came with this image on the paper sleeve. I know he use it on the 45's too.

Tame said:

The artist who worked on the Duran Duran cover is Patrick Nagel.

crunkytown said:

I'm pretty sure those flowers were a photograph, no?

eyewishuheaven said:

Exactly. If I remember correctly, Laura LiPuma is credited with the album cover design and is probably to credit for the photgraph of the flowers. When speaking of vinyl, the covers were refered to as "jackets" while the things inside that you slip records into are called "sleeves", so if the "dust sleeve" painting is credited to Doug Handers, he's the one who did the b/w face painting.

If you're looking for a poster-sized replica, perhaps your best bet is to track down a used copy of PR on vinyl. Try a local thrift store or flea market, as I have multiple copies of PR on vinyl, some of which I picked up for as little as a quarter from thrift stores. Then you can take the the sleeve to some place that does photo enlargements.
[Edited 7/17/08 10:41am]

Anxiety said:

Anx, love the sig

Wow! I never expected so many posts, of which, each and everyone is greatfully appreciated!

This may sound like a long shot but, when I push pause at the end of the video, is it somehow possible to transfer that image someplace else? If so, the process may even have a name.

In the city in which I live, there is only one secondhand record shop which I will visit but, if I strike out, I might continue to 'hassle' people here at the org, until someone comes up with the goods

Wow! I never expected so many posts, of which, each and everyone is greatfully appreciated!

This may sound like a long shot but, when I push pause at the end of the video, is it somehow possible to transfer that image someplace else? If so, the process may even have a name.

In the city in which I live, there is only one secondhand record shop which I will visit but, if I strike out, I might continue to 'hassle' people here at the org, until someone comes up with the goods

Oops. Apologies for the double post.

Love the poster Efan. Brings back lots of memories. If I can't get an image of just her face, I might just settle for the one in your post, unless someone is kind enough to scan an uncluttered one for me??

I don't want to just have it blown up, but, recreated professionally as a commercial looking poster and then have it laminated. All of which can be done.

rap said:

This is pretty easy to do. If you're on a PC, just hit "Print Screen." Then open up any imaging program and hit Paste and it will copy the full image of what was on your computer screen. Then crop the image until it's just the portion that you want.

That only works well if it's a high-enough quality image of what you want. But if you're happy with what you get when you hit Pause, then maybe that's enough. But I doubt it will look good blown up. Sorry.

You could give an artist the picture and get them to recreate it for you (as you cannot buy the original).

Efan said:

Well you could increase the size in a photo editing programme, add some effects like dry brush and a bit of blur, reduce the pic size and voila!

I've seen it on google ,now if I can only remember how to find it again.
[Edited 7/18/08 6:02am]

I don't see any similarities that would make me think they were related.

I cant remember exactly who the artist is,but i remember that in the 80's images in the style of the Prince one and the Duran Duran cover were prety prevalent.
It may be the same artist

I had heard once that it's supposed to be an image of Marilyn Monroe....I don't see the resemblance.

Tame said:

Patrick Nagel.

No, it's not the same artist, though equally devoid of artistic merit.... Pretty to look at though.

Marrk said:

Better yet, redraw it in Illustrator and you could make any size poster you want!

It's a fairly easy image to trace.