History Main / StandInPortrait

* In an inversion, the SovietUnion edited the disgraced UsefulNotes/LeonTrotsky out of old propaganda films by back-projecting and re-photographing the scenes where he appeared with a non-lookalike actor standing in front of his image to block it out.

* Fozzy Bear and Avery Schreiber did a sketch based on this in one episode of ''Series/TheMuppetShow''.

* WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck/Porky Pig short ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daffy_Doodles Daffy Doodles]]'': Daffy is the "Mustache Fiend", who goes around drawing mustaches on pictures. Porky Pig is a cop who tries to catch him by holding up a picture frame in front of his face and pretending to be a picture. Watch it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMDL5jOH58U here, starting at 1:50]].

* In an inversion, the SovietUnion edited the disgraced LeonTrotsky out of old propaganda films by back-projecting and re-photographing the scenes where he appeared with a non-lookalike actor standing in front of his image to block it out.

* In ''WesternAnimation/WallE'', the captain lures AUTO out by standing in front of a hologram of the plant, pretending that he has it. Then, he hides from AUTO (momentarily) by standing in front of his own portrait. This is slightly more realistic than most, since AUTO only has one camera, and so has no depth perception

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Yoh does this in ''Manga/CryingFreeman''. In this case, he was actually standing in for a painting of himself, and it was on an easel, not a wall, so he just switched in an empty frame and stood behind it with the lights off. He only does it to fool police watching from outside, and once an actual person entered the room, she quickly noticed something was off and turned the lights on.
[[/folder]]

[[caption-width-right:200:Don't call the portraits creepy.]]

[[AC:Art]]

[[AC:{{Anime}} & {{Manga}}]]

[[AC:{{Comics}}]]
* One ''JosieAndThePussycats'' story had this. The Pussycats visit an art museum. they take a moment to comment on a portrait of what Melody calls 'an ugly guy'. After they leave, it is revealed that the 'portrait' is actually a real man standing behind an empty frame, who is unamused.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

* ''Film/TheThreeStooges'' short "The Hot Scots", Justified in a 3D medium as the stooges are imbeciles.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{WALL-E}}'', the captain lures AUTO out by standing in front of a hologram of the plant, pretending that he has it. Then, he hides from AUTO (momentarily) by standing in front of his own portrait. This is slightly more realistic than most, since AUTO only has one [[strike:eye]] camera, and so has no depth perception
* A classic example occurs in ''YoungFrankenstein'' when Igor pretends to be one of the heads in the lab in order to surprise Frankenstein and Inga.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

* In the children's book ''FlatStanley'', Stanley foils an art museum robbery by pretending to be a painting. Of course it's easier for him, what with being flat and all.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* When TheMonkees played a creepy house, the owner [a vampire] did this.
* Spoofed in the ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' episode ''My Jiggly Ball'' when Kelso tries to hide as a himself in a mural. He refuses to break cover even when Cox points out he is 3 dimensional and then physically grabs him.

* ''WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' episode 21 where [[spoiler:the Mona Lisa made to come alive]] does this.
* Fozzy Bear and Avery Schreiber did a sketch based on this in one episode of TheMuppetShow.

--> "Nice screen saver!"

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* ''Videogame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' has a puzzle based on this trope: In order to convince a local innkeeper that he's a member of the Goodsoup family, Guybrush has to take a painting of one of the Goodsoups, cut out the face, paste the remains of the painting on a door with a porthole, and peek his head in through the other side of the porthole as the innkeeper arrives to admire his paintings. Lampshaded subtly in that the innkeeper says he feels as if the painting's eyes are following him, Ã la the Mona Lisa.

[[AC:WebOriginal]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': The opening theme features Phineas [[MustacheVandalism painting a mustache on Candace's portrait]], but it turns out to be Candace herself.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In the episode "Double, Double Boy in Trouble", Bart comments on a poster of Joe Montana, but it turns out to be Joe Montana standing in a hole in the wall.

* DaffyDuck/Porky Pig short ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daffy_Doodles Daffy Doodles]]'': Daffy is the "Mustache Fiend", who goes around drawing mustaches on pictures. Porky Pig is a cop who tries to catch him by holding up a picture frame in front of his face and pretending to be a picture. Watch it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMDL5jOH58U here, starting at 1:50]].
* In the BugsBunny short ''The Hair-Raising Hare'', the orange monster (now known as Gossamer) does the PortraitPaintingPeephole bit, but Bugs catches on and gives him a poke in the eye. Then Bugs stands in for a portrait, which gives the monster a chance to get even... only Bugs beats him to the punch and pokes him again.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cellbound}}'' does a variant of this--instead of a portrait, the protagonist imitates a TV broadcast, which makes up most of the gags in the short.

* ''InspectorGadget'': Chief Quimby and Brain do this ''a lot''.

[[AC:RealLife]]

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': The opening theme features Phineas painting a mustache on Candace's portrait, but it turns out to be Candace herself.

-->- '''Candace,''' ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''

* ''InLikeFlint'': Derek Flint dresses up as a Z.O.W.I.E. officer and stands in front of a recruiting poster before infiltrating a Top Secret Z.O.W.I.E. complex.

* Variation in GeneWolfe's ''BookOfTheNewSun'' novels: Severian is surprised to discover that what appears to be a painting in a gallery is in fact a cleverly disguised room behind a picture frame.

* A classic example occurs in ''YoungFrankenstein'' when Igor pretends to be one of the preserved heads in order to surprise Frankenstein and Inga.

* A baby griffin who has been stealing does this in an episode of ''WesternAnimtion/SofiaTheFirst'' by standing in front of a small portrait for a royal while wrapped in a red cloth and wearing a tiara. Neither James nor Amber notice, despite both claiming that nothing gets past them.

* ''TheThreeStooges'' short "The Hot Scots", Justified in a 3D medium as the stooges are imbeciles.

* In the children's book ''FlatStanley'', Stanley foils an art museum robbery by pretending to be a painting. Of course it's easier for him, what with being flat and all . . .

* In ''JurassicParkIII'', a raptor stands behind a glass tube to pretend he's one of the dead test subjects.

See also NobodyHereButUsStatues, MirrorRoutine and WallpaperCamouflage.

* ''TheThreeStooges'' short "The Hot Scots", Justified in a 3D medium as the stooges are imbeciles.
** Occasionally subverted in that we're left to assume [[RuleOfFunny the actual painting has come to life]]. The ghostly Shemp causing a portrait of a cowboy to shoot in "Heavenly Daze"; Curly being left to shake a sculpture's hand in "You Nazty Spy"; and a portrait of Napoleon catching the stooges' turkey and running away in "I'll Never Heil Again."

* In ''{{Wall-E}}'', the captain lures AUTO out by standing in front of a hologram of the plant, pretending that he has it. Then, he hides from AUTO (momentarily) by standing in front of his own portrait. This is slightly more realistic than most, since AUTO only has one [[strike:eye]] camera, and so has no depth perception
* In ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'' some of the scenes featuring Rosa Klebb had to be reshot after the set was struck. The solution was to blow up a still frame from the existing footage and film the reshoot with the actress standing in front of her own image.
* Envy stands in front of her own poster at the coffee bar in ''{{Film/Scott Pilgrim}}''.

[[AC:Literature]]
* Variation in GeneWolfe's ''{{Book of the New Sun}}'' novels: Severian is surprised to discover that what appears to be a painting in a gallery is in fact a cleverly disguised room behind a picture frame.

* When TheMonkees played a creepy house, the owner [a vampire] did this.

* ''Videogame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' has a puzzle based on this trope: In order to convince a local innkeeper that he's a member of the Goodsoup family, Guybrush has to take a painting of one of the Goodsoups, cut out the face, paste the remains of the painting on a door with a porthole, and peek his head in through the other side of the porthole as the innkeeper arrives to admire his paintings. Lampshaded subtly in that the innkeeper says he feels as if the painting's eyes are following him, à la the Mona Lisa.

* In ''GetSmart'', Agent 13, who is hiding in a picture, complains that he cannot look around that much. This is especially goes for leaning out for a look, as he complains "I'm not a pop-out painting!"