How Artwork Inspires Filmmakers

[Frank W. Baker]

Production designer Howard Cummings (Cinemax's The Knick) says in the September 12 issue of EW magazine that the look of the operating theatre was taken from the famous Thomas Eakins painting "The Agnew Clinic" (above right).  Its stark aesthetic reflected director Steven Soderbergh's original vision for a black-and-white film. But the director and set designer compromised by keeping the hospital itself mostly achromatic.  See also: 15 films inspired by famous artwork; The Paintings Behind the Films; and The Paintings that Inspired The Films.