by Edwin Megargee?
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ART OF THE 237 LEVEL
BATTLE OF SISTERS CREEK ⎔ ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL ⎔ MAN OF VAN DIEMENS LAND ⎔ OXBOROUGH ⎔ RABBIT PRINT ⎔ STILL LIFE OF FLOWERS IN A JUG ⎔ THREE JOHN WEBBER PRINTS ⎔ YEI PICTORIAL
which is the closest thing I’ve found to the one above.
APPEARANCE
Seen only once during Danny’s 2nd trike ride near 237 (41:24-41:28), beside the second floor elevator overlooking the Colorado lounge, and again above Wendy (very obscurely) when she goes looking for the All Work pages, high above. The timing for the deer sketch starts at 41:24 too, but ends at 41:30, in case that ever matters.
IDENTITY
I’m less sure of this than I was initially, but this Megargee spaniel remains the most similar to the film version. He did many iterations of the English Springer Spaniel, so the film version might just be one more.
Megargee was apparently quite the dog guy. According to P. C. Long of the New York Herald Tribune, “All animals have a sort of sixth sense in selecting people in whom to place their confidence… I have never known a horse or a dog that would not obey his slightest command. I have never known one that would not give him complete and perfect devotion. After all, this may the best measure of his character, both as a man and as an artist.” But the man was apparently a great lover of pure bred animals: “…blood will tell… Well-bred dogs will give their all of affection and loyalty in the face of death itself. To me a purebred animal seems proud of its lineage. I have never known a pedigreed dog to be a snake or a coward when put to the test…” That speaks to the WWII angle, obviously.
Megargee was also the artist responsible for the Greyhound Bus Company insignia, the racing greyhound (Greyhound is referenced very obscurely on the Overlook bus schedule letter board at the very beginning of the movie—was this how Kubrick discovered him?).
As for the deer sketch, a recent analysis I did of King’s novel caused me to wonder if it is in fact a caribou sketch. On page 213, the Torrances (having just lost the ability to leave the hotel thanks to an incoming storm, and moments before Danny will enter room 217) spy some five caribou standing silent and still at the border of the Overlook compound, and then get a better look at these sentinels through some “Zeiss-Ikon” binoculars. One of the mafiosos Jack reads about having a connection to the Overlook is named Pete “Poppa” Zeiss, and there’s five main goons that Jack’s research uncovers. This (among other clues) lead me to believe that the caribou are some reflection of the ghosts that haunt the hotel. So, again, it’s starting to seem like the rabbit represents Hallorann, while the Spaniel represents Jack, and the caribou/deer represents the hotel. For another thing, Danny is about to turn a corner and trike toward room 231 for a time period starting at 41:32, which is part of why I think Jack is absorbed into room 231, which is itself a jumble of page 213.
STYLISTIC SIGNIFICANCE
Megargee was also another artist with a mission to portray his animals with high realism. He used photography as an aide to his work.
MIRRORFORM SIGNIFICANCE
Backward Wendy is telling Tony/Danny she’ll be back in a few minutes after talking to Jack. So I’m wondering if these, in concert with the rabbit print beside them, are meant as a metaphor for the nature of the lounge fight.
Next art reference: Battle of Sisters Creek
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OTHER MAIN PAGES FOR SHINING ANALYSIS
THE MIRRORFORM ⎔ THE BEATLES ⎔ THE RUM AND THE RED
BACKGROUND ART ⎔ OVERLOOK PHOTOGRAPHS ⎔ GOLDEN SPIRALS
PHI GRIDS ⎔ PATTERNS ⎔ VIOLENCE AND INDIGENA ⎔ ABSURDITIES
THE STORY ROOM ⎔ ANIMAL SYMBOLS ⎔ THE ANNOTATED SHINING
EYE SCREAM 