I'm dying to see a shot of the art in Widmore's office - the piece that caught Desmond's attention. Was that a bear?

All of the art intrigues me . . . the hatch art, Claire's ex Thomas's art, the art in Desmond's flat, Michael's art, and now Charles Widmore . . .

Was all that stuff really there when it really happened or was that all influenced by what he's seen on the island?

I'm 99.9% sure it said NAMASTE backwards across the top,
and that was definitely a polar bear

but Ladybug brings up an interesting point.

It had a polar bear. Also the same type of buddha statue (but upside down) as was in the Brain Washing video.

ETA -johnny you're right. It does say Namaste backwards up top.

the art style looked very similar to that painting in the swan hatch

I thought it looked very similar to the hatch mural, which is no surprise, as we know Desmond painted that. Also, Widmore reading his resume dropped the hint that he is an artist (set decorator). I think his mural style choice was meant to be reflective of art he saw at a key moment in his life.

anyone have a screenshot?

Here's a few shots of it:
Full shot (http://aycu01.webshots.com/image/12080/2001757298247154314_rs.jpg)
Closer up (http://aycu15.webshots.com/image/9894/2001750129536428579_rs.jpg)

i was starting to think before this episode that des could always see the future. how else do you explain the stuff in his hatch mural. i figured it was because he knew it was gonna happen

Here's a few shots of it:
Full shot (http://aycu01.webshots.com/image/12080/2001757298247154314_rs.jpg)
Closer up (http://aycu15.webshots.com/image/9894/2001750129536428579_rs.jpg)

Anyone else see a black horse in the top left corner?

Anyone else see a black horse in the top left corner?
nope. i see some green mess though

Perhaps Desmond painted it after his experience in the hatch, but time looped back so that it's actually in what they're experiencing as the present.

Desmond = artist, post-hatch experience.

They're viewing it prior to hatch experience.

Anyone else see a black horse in the top left corner?

errrrr, not so much dude

Perhaps Desmond painted it after his experience in the hatch, but time looped back so that it's actually in what they're experiencing as the present.

Desmond = artist, post-hatch experience.

They're viewing it prior to hatch experience.
what? sorry, can you explain that a little better?

what? sorry, can you explain that a little better?If this is a time loop (not going back and forth, but actually a circular loop) then it's quite possible that the future is affecting the past, just as the past is affecting the future. The picture might be something that was actually created in the future by Desmond, but we're circling around again and it remains in the past. He just might not remember painting it as he didn't experience it yet, or doesn't remember it. I say this because the style is so similar to Desmond's and it has hints of the island (namaste, buddha...)

Wow, I only caught the polar bear during the episode. Thinks for the caps, gumpy.

This episode is blowing my mind. What happened first? This or the hatch mural? If it's a time loop, I guess it doesn't matter... ? :confused:

The backwards Namaste and upside-down buddha..... reference to a mirror universe?

The backwards Namaste and upside-down buddha..... reference to a mirror universe?

Possible...or maybe just to symbolize that things aren't right"?

also the stone statue (budha?) could be a reference to the stone foot we've seen

The backwards Namaste and upside-down buddha..... reference to a mirror universe?
This was my first thought too. There was another point in the episode that this idea stood out for me, but I only watched it half an hour ago so I'm still digesting it all!

Did anyone get any caps of the other picture in the office? I will go back and look again, but I could make out what looked like letters: M, D, T, A and some of the disembodied heads that we've seen before (in Tom's artwork and in the hatch).

Did anyone notice the room flips? When the room is first shown, Desmond is in the right chair, the bar is to the right of Desmond and the painting on the left. When desmond looks over at the painting however, he is sitting in the left chair. The lamp that was on the right side of the desk is on the left, and desmond looks to his right (twards what should be the bar). After this, room reverts back to the way it was before.

Perhaps a continuity error? Perhaps the image was mirrored accidentally which would explain why everything is reversed. This might be a question for the creative team.

What seems most likely to me is that he created both paintings using his "flashes" of the future.

Did anyone notice the room flips? When the room is first shown, Desmond is in the right chair, the bar is to the right of Desmond and the painting on the left. When desmond looks over at the painting however, he is sitting in the left chair. The lamp that was on the right side of the desk is on the left, and desmond looks to his right (twards what should be the bar). After this, room reverts back to the way it was before.

Perhaps a continuity error? Perhaps the image was mirrored accidentally which would explain why everything is reversed. This might be a question for the creative team.


Something did seem off.. but I thought that I was just seeing things wrong, and I was trying to hard to concentrate and see if I could notice anything weird! haha

I want to see some screencaps of this though for sure. How strange.

While watching this, I was assuming that it was all in Desmond's head and that Desmond was just incorporating things from the island into his vision, i.e. the painting, the microwave beeping, the delivery guy saying the numbers. Maybe we're overanalyzing this - maybe Des just got knocked out from the explosion and was dreaming/hallucinating.

If this was more than just a "dream" while unconsious from the explosion, then TPTB are going to have to do some more explaining. To me it was just that - a dream. Sounds, numbers, painting etc... all were part of the dream, and when the old lady talks to him and says "no, you don't take the ring... and you break her heart.. " that was just proof. He was looking at all the stuff he had done wrong, and was "dreaming" what would happen if he could change it. Then he wakes on the island after the explosion. Now, how he can "sence" the future, I don't know, but this episode didn't explain it anyway.

Did anyone notice the room flips? When the room is first shown, Desmond is in the right chair, the bar is to the right of Desmond and the painting on the left. When desmond looks over at the painting however, he is sitting in the left chair. The lamp that was on the right side of the desk is on the left, and desmond looks to his right (twards what should be the bar). After this, room reverts back to the way it was before.

Perhaps a continuity error? Perhaps the image was mirrored accidentally which would explain why everything is reversed. This might be a question for the creative team.

Wow, great catch! I didn't notice the room flip on first viewing, but something about the scene did seem off. I attributed that simply to the fact that it was Desmond's dream. But I just watched it again, and the room definitely does flip, not once but twice. If you watch it again, you'll notice that the first shot of the room is wide from behind Des. He's sitting in the chair on the right. The bar is to his right and both paintings are on the wall to his left. Also, the lamp on Widmore's desk is to Des' left. But when they cut to Des' coverage, you see his left profile in front of the wall to his right. Des is now sitting in the left chair, with the polar bear painting on his right instead of the bar. Also, the lamp on Widmore's desk has switched sides too and is now on the left side of frame. Then, there's another master shot from behind Widmore. In that shot, everything has switched back: artwork, bar, desk lamp, and the position of Des in the guest chair. This seems to be much more than a continuity flub. Why would they completely reverse key elements in the room twice, if they weren't trying to send a message? It's completely intentional, just as the backwards "Namaste" text and the upside down Buddha in the painting.

There could be a much simpler explanation. Obviously you can link Desmond with the picture, because you know that he's been on the island. But what about Charles himself. It's already been theorized plenty, that his company has connection with the Hanso Foundation and The DHARMA Initiative. So what if this picture represents that he has awareness of the island's existence.

NAMASTE...backwards???

ET'S A MAN. The bear is a man!!!!

Anyone else see a black horse in the top left corner?

No but i doo see "blood" coming out of the polar bears mouth!

Wow, great catch! I didn't notice the room flip on first viewing, but something about the scene did seem off. I attributed that simply to the fact that it was Desmond's dream. But I just watched it again, and the room definitely does flip, not once but twice. If you watch it again, you'll notice that the first shot of the room is wide from behind Des. He's sitting in the chair on the right. The bar is to his right and both paintings are on the wall to his left. Also, the lamp on Widmore's desk is to Des' left. But when they cut to Des' coverage, you see his left profile in front of the wall to his right. Des is now sitting in the left chair, with the polar bear painting on his right instead of the bar. Also, the lamp on Widmore's desk has switched sides too and is now on the left side of frame. Then, there's another master shot from behind Widmore. In that shot, everything has switched back: artwork, bar, desk lamp, and the position of Des in the guest chair. This seems to be much more than a continuity flub. Why would they completely reverse key elements in the room twice, if they weren't trying to send a message? It's completely intentional, just as the backwards "Namaste" text and the upside down Buddha in the painting.

there was a lot of reversals in this epi. The ones you mentioned, of course, but others, to, the soccer game, for instance, is reversed: the team Desmond expected to score was attacking to one side and in the second game it was attacking to the other. I think these reversal are really too major to be continuity mistakes, to.

there was a lot of reversals in this epi. The ones you mentioned, of course, but others, to, the soccer game, for instance, is reversed: the team Desmond expected to score was attacking to one side and in the second game it was attacking to the other. I think these reversal are really too major to be continuity mistakes, to.

The football game (soccer for Americans :)) actually isn't a continuity mistake. The images of the tv are the same way in both scenes. There's 2 halves to a game of football, where one half you'll be aiming in one direction and then the other half you'll be aiming in the opposite. But that's a slightly mute point, since it was a different game anyway.

I'm dying to see a shot of the art in Widmore's office - the piece that caught Desmond's attention. Was that a bear?

All of the art intrigues me . . . the hatch art, Claire's ex Thomas's art, the art in Desmond's flat, Michael's art, and now Charles Widmore . . .

The other picture (http://gallery.lost-media.com/albums/ep-caps/season3/3x08-flashes/2/normal_flashes-cap341.jpg) in Widmore's office reminds me of Thomas's paintings

The other picture (http://gallery.lost-media.com/albums/ep-caps/season3/3x08-flashes/2/normal_flashes-cap341.jpg) in Widmore's office reminds me of Thomas's paintings
Thanks for the link, Waltisfuture. I asked further up the thread if anyone had caps as it reminded me of Thomas' work we'd seen previously.

The other picture (http://gallery.lost-media.com/albums/ep-caps/season3/3x08-flashes/2/normal_flashes-cap341.jpg) in Widmore's office reminds me of Thomas's paintings

I just get the nagging gut feeling that this painting is representative of smokey. The way it is outreaching and fluid, not to mention black, then behind the largest impression, there's that circular object that almost looks like a face. They are definitely hiding something in it, too. You cannot get a clear shot of it. No matter what pic I blow up, it's too blurry for details.

I'm leaning more towards Desmond's experience was a dream and thus was full of assorted symbolism and images from his life on the island. Those paintings were disturbing, especially as they were flashed so quickly during that scene.

NAMASTE...backwards???

ET'S A MAN. The bear is a man!!!!

That's silly! :) But at the same time, a little creepy.

The bear's (not sure it is really a polar bear) chin looks a bit odd to me, like some sort of script. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks for the link, Waltisfuture. I asked further up the thread if anyone had caps as it reminded me of Thomas' work we'd seen previously.

Here's a pic of the other painting in Widmores office.
http://lostpedia.com/images/7/71/3x08widmorepainting2.jpg
Now here is a pic of Claire's boyfriend in his studio, the picture that looks familiar to you can be seen just to the right of Thomas' head.
http://lostpedia.com/images/0/0d/Thomas_Artwork.jpg
The really strange thing about this is that, the scene in Widmores office is supposed to take place three years before Desmond comes to the island, where he lived pushing the button for three more years, 6 total years, but when we saw it in Thomas' studio, that was only 9 months before Claire came to the island, she had just gotten pregnant, that's why he left her.

DING.....a bell goes off.......In the episode "Raised By Another" at first Thomas is at first happy about the baby, saying it was "the best thing ever". Then after Caire went to the psychic, whom by the way I now believe to be a "life course corrector" like Miss Hawking, the woman who revealed Desmonds path to him, or they are the same being. Anyway I think a "life course corrector" got to Thomas, and convinced him to leave Claire, just as Desmond left Penny.
Thomas' art could be his visions of his own flashes before his eyes.

Back to the original "bear" painting - there is also a swan just above the bear..you can make out the neck bowing down directly over the bear's head.
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OMG! I've just looked at the screen caps again, and realised what you mean about everything being "flipped"!
http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?album=1250&pos=333
http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?album=1250&pos=337
Alice through the Looking Glass?

Back to the original "bear" painting - there is also a swan just above the bear..you can make out the neck bowing down directly over the bear's head.
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OMG! I've just looked at the screen caps again, and realised what you mean about everything being "flipped"!
http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?album=1250&pos=333
http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?album=1250&pos=337
Alice through the Looking Glass?

a swan huh?
sure wish i had an imagination like that, lol

just kidding with ya Thongy
but i honestly don't see that at all :shrug:

:-( Honest - I can see a swan....and I haven't had a drink yet - it's only 7pm!!! Look through screwed up eyes. (I was taking my contacts out when I "saw" it on the screen cap!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol )

In the polar bear painting, I think that the horizontal lines on the right might be an impression of the Swan hatch window blinds.

In Desmond's FBYE "experience", we did see what looked like his MOS/MOF eye closeup that has the window blinds reflection in it.

Also, the zigzag line (possibly mountains, or a tear in the fabric of time/space) reminds me of Mr. Paik's screens (although not an exact match).

OMG! I've just looked at the screen caps again, and realised what you mean about everything being "flipped"!
http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?album=1250&pos=333
http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?album=1250&pos=337
Alice through the Looking Glass?

The room isn't flipped, it's just symmetrical.
That table on the wall is to Desmond's left in both pictures, and you can see in the first picture that there are two sets of couches and tables in the room.

In the polar bear painting, I think that the horizontal lines on the right might be an impression of the Swan hatch window blinds.

Also, the zigzag line (possibly mountains, or a tear in the fabric of time/space) reminds me of Mr. Paik's screens (although not an exact match).

The zigzag line, which I'm pretty certain is a simplistic graphic representation of three mountains, also appears in Desmond's flat.

Here's the polar bear picture:

http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?album=1250&pos=336

Here's the art in Desmond's flat (artwork is above the bed, far left panel has the three mountains):

http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?album=1250&pos=289

Here's Mr. Paik's screen (this one is indeed more of a stretch, but if you look at the zigzag line on the screen upside down...):

http://img459.imageshack.us/img459/4733/theislandmrpaik7vo.jpg

I feel like I've seen a graphic representation of mountains like this somewhere else on the show as well, but can't remember where.

The room isn't flipped, it's just symmetrical.
That table on the wall is to Desmond's left in both pictures, and you can see in the first picture that there are two sets of couches and tables in the room.

It's definitely flipped Gumpy. http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?album=1250&pos=335

Photo 336: Des in right chair in front of Widmore's desk; bar to the right; paintings to the left.

Photo 337: Des in left chair in front of Widmore's desk; (can't see bar in this photo but I rewatched episode and it's on the left); paintings on right.

I definitely don't think it is a continuity error. Too gross of an error to have gotten through production. I can't venture a guess as to what it "means," but it sure is a surreal few opening moments in that scene.

It's definitely flipped Gumpy. http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?album=1250&pos=335

Photo 336: Des in right chair in front of Widmore's desk; bar to the right; paintings to the left.

Photo 337: Des in left chair in front of Widmore's desk; (can't see bar in this photo but I rewatched episode and it's on the left); paintings on right.

I definitely don't think it is a continuity error. Too gross of an error to have gotten through production. I can't venture a guess as to what it "means," but it sure is a surreal few opening moments in that scene.

As that scene started, Widmore said: "You didn't tell me you were an actor, Desmond."
To which Desmond replies: Ahh no, I was actually set design, for the Royal Shakspeare Company."
Not that we wouldn't have noticed the walls flipping back and forth on our own, we did, but Desmond said SET DESIGN, like it was meant to be another clue to look for it. So, is it intentional, and a clue to the puzzle, or is it some post prodution geeks having fun at our expense?

ummmm i honestly thought the buddah was Locke...and i still do.

Soooo didn't notice the flipping on my own, but that was a great pickup!!!

Re: how long before the island this had been - How long was Des in military service, plus incarcerated, plus time prepping for the race, plus time on the boat, plus time on the island? I think it's more like 8 years total?

If those paintings were there the first time around, I don't think Des painted them. Widemore would NEVER have allowed that if he knew it, and there's no evidence that Des was an artist for cash. And it'd be great if Claire's boyfriend did them. But wasn't he too young at this point in time?

Might just be some random thing that we can't explain, like why Walt was on the back of the milk carton Hurley was drinking from when he was in the Hatch & talking to Jin. Or, might be Desmond's hallucination.

I hate this show.
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Found a link to this on another thread, relating to Easter eggs in general, but clearly relevant here:
http://bp0.blogger.com/_RrObyQ3XzcY/RdXWwtC3n5I/AAAAAAAABKM/Zsrt1RIOnMU/s1600-h/tomandwidmore.jpg

It IS Claire's boyfriend's painting. This raises two questions for me: when the hell did he paint this and how did it end up here? Also - this means it wasn't a Des hallucination, doesn't it? He can only see the future, as of yet. He couldn't have known to put this painting in the office!
100%
Er... I just thought of this... if the painting was there the first time, then Des obviously could have included it in an hallucination later, even if he made up the bear/buddha painting in his mind. I got all excited for nothing. Guess I always look toward the grassy knoll too early!

It's definitely flipped Gumpy. http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?album=1250&pos=335

Photo 336: Des in right chair in front of Widmore's desk; bar to the right; paintings to the left.

Photo 337: Des in left chair in front of Widmore's desk; (can't see bar in this photo but I rewatched episode and it's on the left); paintings on right.

I definitely don't think it is a continuity error. Too gross of an error to have gotten through production. I can't venture a guess as to what it "means," but it sure is a surreal few opening moments in that scene.

Oh, I see it now. :lipsseal:
I was only basing that on the pictures that Thongy posted, but the other ones are flipped.

I believe that all of the artwork in question was painted by one of Lost's directors, Jack Bender.
More on some of the art connections:
http://thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=69696