Does a picture paint a thousand words?

Here’s another DP Challenge. I know I said I wouldn’t but I can’t stay away.  It’s short but sweet 🙂 I had to have my fix so why don’t you join the throngs of the addicted? http://dailypost.wordpress.com/category/inspiration/

Does a picture paint a thousand words? I used to go along with that old saw, but now that I’m asked to really think about it, my contrary nature has reared its head (I feel obliged to live up to my name). You can’t tell a blabbermouth like me to prefer the image to the prose.

You can’t tell a writer that you think a picture is worth a thousand words, not and keep a straight face while you’re doing it. Take the Mona Lisa for example. Songs have been written about the ‘lady with the mystic smile’ and reams have been written about who she is. We are endlessly fascinated about such trivial matters. Personally, I’m not such a fan of the Mona Lisa painting (I prefer the Rowan Atkinson version); I don’t even think there’s much mystery in that smile. I think it’s smug. It’s an ‘I know something that you don’t,’ smile. I find it irritating, but I’m obviously in the minority here. The smile is obviously what’s made da Vinci immortal.

If we’re talking films as opposed to pictures, then, whenever the film is based on a novel, I read the novel first because as often as not the film, despite all the beautiful landscapes and the clever computer generated stunts, usually turns out to be a pale imitation of the written word. And the written word sets you free to imagine or picture things for yourself.

(Even though the word count here is, 286), I say, give me a thousand words any time.