Isabella Flores
Colonel Potter's paintings from M*A*S*H have intrigued fans for decades, with many wondering who the artist behind them was. While some initially believed the paintings were created by Harry Morgan (Colonel Potter himself) or Gary Burghoff, it was later confirmed that they were the work of unidentified studio artisans hired by the show's propmaster. The paintings featured various subjects, including portraits of Radar, Klinger, Hawkeye, and other members of the M*A*S*H cast. The current whereabouts of most of the paintings are unknown, although one was auctioned off for over $16,000, and another was loaned to the National Museum of American History as part of its M*A*S*H exhibit in 2017.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who painted them? | Studio artisans, not Harry Morgan, Gary Burghoff, Kellye Nakahara, or any of the cast. |
| What were the subjects? | Radar holding a medical bag, Klinger with a discus, Hawkeye with a tongue depressor tower, and a group portrait of B.J., Hawkeye, Charles, Klinger, Father Mulcahy, and Margaret. |
| Where are they now? | One was sold at auction in 2018 for $16,000. Another was loaned to the National Museum of American History in 2017. The rest are unknown but may have been given to cast or crew. |
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What You'll Learn
Potter's paintings were created by studio artisans
The paintings depicted in the M*A*S*H series as creations of Colonel Sherman T. Potter were not painted by the actor Harry Morgan, who played him, or any other member of the cast. In January 1997, Larry Gelbart confirmed that the paintings were the work of an unidentified artist hired by the show's propmaster. This was reiterated in November of the same year by Hirsch, who also stated that the artist was not Leroy Nieman. One source claims that the artist was an "unknown studio artisan".
The paintings were real, however, and not merely a television prop. One of the paintings, a cast character portrait from the episode "Picture This", was sold at auction for over $16,000. Another painting, of BJ with a life preserver around his waist, was painted by Aggie O'Shea.
In the show, Colonel Potter is depicted as an amateur, recreational painter. This is reflected in the content of his paintings, which include jokes about artistic technique, such as an artist holding up their thumb to estimate proportions. Other paintings by Potter include 'Greek Klinger', 'Hawkeye with his feet on the desk', and 'Winchester's face while Winchester is yelling at Potter'.
The paintings continue to be popular, with prints and reproductions being sought after by fans of the show.
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The artist behind the paintings remains unidentified
The artist behind the paintings in the long-running television series M*A*S*H remains unidentified. While there has been much speculation, no one artist has been confirmed. The paintings were simply created by "studio artisans" or artists working in LA who were hired by the show's propmaster.
The paintings were not created by Harry Morgan, who played Colonel Potter, despite some speculation. It was confirmed by Larry Gelbart in a post to the M*A*S*H Usenet group that Gary Burghoff, an accomplished wildlife artist, was also not the artist. Kellye Nakahara, another accomplished watercolour artist, was also ruled out.
The paintings were actual paintings, and not just props, as confirmed by a user on Reddit, who also asserted that the paintings were done by Morgan himself. However, this was later refuted by another user, who linked to an article about a M*A*S*H prop painting that sold for $16,000 in 2018. The painting, which was created for the episode "Picture This", was rendered in acrylic on canvas by an unknown studio artisan.
The current whereabouts of the paintings are also unknown. They were not sent to the Smithsonian in July 1983 for the "Binding Up the Wounds" exhibit, and it is speculated that they may have been given to members of the cast or crew after production ended. One user on Reddit claimed that their father, who worked for a Hollywood studio, acquired one of the paintings. Another individual claimed to be in possession of one of the famed "Potter's Paintings", but it is unclear if this painting is an original or a reproduction.
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Harry Morgan, who played Colonel Potter, did not paint them
Harry Morgan, who played Colonel Potter in M*A*S*H, did not paint the artworks shown and referred to as Potter's paintings on the show. While Morgan did paint, the paintings featured in the series were created by unidentified studio artisans hired by the show's propmaster.
In the episode "Picture This" from season 10, Potter paints a group portrait featuring B.J., Hawkeye, Charles, Klinger, Father Mulcahy, and Margaret. Two paintings were made for this episode, and one was hung in Potter's office but was edited out. This painting was ultimately loaned to the National Museum of American History as part of its M*A*S*H exhibit in 2017. The other was taken home by producer John Rappaport, who kept it for decades before consigning it to Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, where it sold for $16,250.
The current whereabouts of the paintings are unknown, and they were not sent to the Smithsonian in July 1983 for the "Binding Up the Wounds" exhibit. It is possible that they were given to cast or crew members after production ended, but none are known to have been auctioned off.
While Morgan did not create the paintings, he did include a personal touch by featuring a portrait of his wife as Mildred on Potter's desk.
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One of the paintings sold at auction for over $16,000
The paintings by Colonel Potter in M*A*S*H were created by studio artisans, not by the actor Harry Morgan himself, despite rumours to the contrary. In the series, Potter is depicted as an amateur, recreational painter.
One of Potter's paintings, created for the season 10 episode "Picture This", sold at auction for $16,250 in 2018. The painting depicts a group portrait featuring B.J., Hawkeye, Charles, Klinger, Father Mulcahy, and Margaret. It was one of two paintings created for the episode "by an unknown studio artisan hired by the show's propmaster", according to the item description. The other painting's whereabouts are unknown.
The painting that sold for over $16,000 was taken home by the producer, John Rappaport, after the episode wrapped, where it hung in his home office for years before being consigned to Heritage Auctions. A total of 16 bids were placed, with the winning bid going to an internet bidder.
The current whereabouts of most of the paintings are not known. It is possible they were given to members of the cast or crew once production ended, but none are known to have been auctioned off, aside from the one mentioned above.
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The paintings were not sent to the Smithsonian in 1983
The paintings depicted in the show M*A*S*H by Colonel Potter were actual paintings, but they were not created by the actor Harry Morgan, despite rumours to the contrary. In fact, the paintings were created by studio artisans, and two paintings were made for the episode "Picture This" by an unknown artist hired by the show's propmaster.
The paintings were not sent to the Smithsonian in July 1983 for the "Binding Up the Wounds" exhibit. Their current whereabouts are unknown, and it is possible they were given to cast or crew members after production ended. None are known to have been auctioned off, although one painting from "Picture This" was sold at auction for $16,250 in 2018. This painting was kept for decades by the producer John Rappaport, who took it home with him after the episode wrapped. It is not known what happened to the other painting from "Picture This".
It is possible that the paintings were reproduced and given to cast and crew, as one person claims to be in possession of one of the "famed Potter's Paintings". They also state that many of the paintings reappear in an episode of After M*A*S*H, although these are obvious reproductions. Another person claims to have a painting of M*A*S*H characters, which is numbered 300/350 and signed, although the name is illegible.
While the artist of the paintings remains unidentified, it is clear that they hold significant value for fans of the show, with one commenter expressing their desire to buy prints of the paintings. The paintings also hold monetary value, as demonstrated by the high price achieved by the painting sold at auction.
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Frequently asked questions
The current whereabouts of the paintings is not known. It is speculated that they were given to the cast or crew after production ended, but none are known to have been auctioned off.
The paintings were not created by Harry Morgan, Gary Burghoff, Kellye Nakahara, or any of the other actors. They were crafted by studio artisans, though the specific artists remain unidentified.
Yes, the paintings shown in the series were real and were created with acrylic or oil paints on canvas.
