What would a wooden leg cost?
Today I learnt the origin of an expression.
You see, 200-300 years ago in George Washington's day, there were no cameras.
One's image was either sculpted or painted. You may note that paintings of George Washington sometimes show him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others show both legs and both arms.
Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. If you weren't aware, arms and legs are limbs, therefore painting them would cost the buyer more.
Hence the expression "It'll cost you an arm and a leg."
This leads me to think about other pieces of art such as the Venus de Milo, how much money did they get off for the lack of limbs there? And did Ken Livingston think he was opting for the cheaper option for the Trafalgar square fourth plinth?
A controversial post perhaps but I'm going to blame it on the low blood sugar.
You see, 200-300 years ago in George Washington's day, there were no cameras.
One's image was either sculpted or painted. You may note that paintings of George Washington sometimes show him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others show both legs and both arms.
Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. If you weren't aware, arms and legs are limbs, therefore painting them would cost the buyer more.
Hence the expression "It'll cost you an arm and a leg."
This leads me to think about other pieces of art such as the Venus de Milo, how much money did they get off for the lack of limbs there? And did Ken Livingston think he was opting for the cheaper option for the Trafalgar square fourth plinth?
A controversial post perhaps but I'm going to blame it on the low blood sugar.
posted by Di Venn @ 2/17/2006 01:17:00 PM
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