[General] BY versus OF

Status
Not open for further replies.

nordway

Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2012
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
Hi, I normally recommend my students using the preposition ‘by’ in the sentences like
The local museum has three paintings BY Picasso.
By recently I ran into that paragraph in the Longman dictionary
***********
9 used to talk about things produced by a famous or skilled writer, artist etc:
the plays of Shakespeare
the paintings of Picasso
the work of a great architect
***********
So, is the following sentence correct too?
The local museum has three paintings OF Picasso.
Or should I recommend my students to avoid using this preposition in such cases?
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
Hi, I normally recommend my students using the preposition ‘by’ in the sentences like
The local museum has three paintings BY Picasso.
By recently I ran into that paragraph in the Longman dictionary
***********
9 used to talk about things produced by a famous or skilled writer, artist etc:
the plays of Shakespeare
the paintings of Picasso
the work of a great architect
***********
So, is the following sentence correct too?
The local museum has three paintings OF Picasso. No, unless they are pictures of the artist himself.
Or should I recommend my students to avoid using this preposition in such cases?

"The paintings of Picasso."
"...three paintings by Picasso."
"...three of Picasso's paintings."
These are correct. Context makes the difference.
 

nordway

Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2012
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
OK, please put a couple examples with a phrase 'painting of Picacco'
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
OK, please put a couple examples with a phrase 'painting of Picacco'

I have a painting of Picasso on my wall; it was painted by Doris Muggeridge of Walthorpe Gardens, Penge. It's not very good.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

nordway

Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2012
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
So, the sentence
I have a painting OF Picasso on my wall.
is OK but the sentence
The local museum has three paintings OF Picasso.
is wrong. Why?
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
So, the sentence
I have a painting OF Picasso on my wall.
is OK but the sentence
The local museum has three paintings OF Picasso.
is wrong. Why?

It's not, if they are paintings of Picasso by other artists. Which is what I said in post #2.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Do you understand that "A painting of Picasso" (as bhaisahab used it) means that it is a painting in which Picasso appears, but which was actually painted by someone else?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top