Framed!

Summary
Buster has just won the best young artist award at the Elwood City Arts Festival. Sensing his work might be worth something someday, Muffy hires Buster to paint her portrait. But can Buster satisfy his critical client?

Plot
Muffy details the fancy things she must know: the right fork to use during dinner, the right outfits for all occassions, and having a portrait painted. As Muffy unveils her portrait, the camera cuts to black.

Framed!

Arthur and D.W. are fighting over the TV remote when they see a broadcast of Buster winning an art contest. At the showcase, Buster says that he tried painting due to his horoscope, and his paintings are all of aliens. Mr. Crosswire buys a commission from Buster to paint Muffy's picture.

Muffy gets tired of posing for Buster's painting and gives him a picture to work from. At home, Buster finishes his painting and declares it a "masterpiece." When he shows it to Muffy, she dislikes it, with the painting depicting her as an alien.

Buster does many concept drawings, but Muffy does not like any of them. Buster complains about this to Arthur and Francine, and when Francine asks Buster to draw him, she does not like it at first. Once Buster explains his art, she likes it. He then draws Arthur, who likes Buster's interpretation of him as an alien.

Buster paints Muffy in a similar style to Arthur and Francine, also explaining it. Muffy dislikes it and wants a new painting; Buster falls on his bed in exasperation and imagines that he has met Van Gogh and other famous artists, who tell him that it's okay to have his own art style.

Buster confronts Muffy and says that he will not change his painting in any way. Mr. Ratburn comes by and compliments the painting, understanding the meaning behind it. Muffy now likes the painting and holds an unveiling party for it. Buster is glad that Muffy now likes his art.

Characters

 * Buster Baxter
 * Muffy Crosswire
 * Arthur Read
 * D.W. Read
 * Ed Crosswire
 * Francine Frensky
 * Nigel Ratburn
 * Bailey(cameo)
 * Mary Moo Cow(cameo)
 * Bionic Bunny(cameo)
 * Bitzi Baxter(cameo)
 * Millicent Crosswire(pictured)
 * Chip Crosswire(pictured)

Trivia

 * Vincent van Gogh’s accent is French rather than Dutch, but he did spend much time in France and would have spoken French with his friend Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Episode connections

 * Like "Binky Barnes, Art Expert," this episode focuses on painting and features several famous real-world paintings.
 * Buster drawing Francine with her head about to explode may be a reference to "Meek for a Week."

Cultural references

 * The painting of Ed Crosswire is based on  by Jacques-Louis David (1801-05).
 * The painting of Millicent Crosswire could be based on a portait of of England. She had red hair and wore similar collars.
 * In Buster’s fantasy, the people at the table are:
 * Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (based on a 1894 photograph)
 * , a 1591 painting by Giuseppe Arcimboldo based on Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II.
 * Vincent van Gogh (based on his 1889 self-portrait)
 * The artworks in the fantasy are (from left to right):
 *  by Raphael, 1504, oil on roundheaded panel.
 *  by Jan van Eyck, 1434, oil on oak.
 *  by Vincent Van Gogh, 1889, oil on canvas.
 *  by Leonardo da Vinci, ca. 1512, red chalk on paper.
 *  by Raphael, ca. 1506, oil on yew.
 *  by Leonardo da Vinci, 1495, tempera and mixed media on plaster.
 *  by Sandro Botticelli, 1486, tempera on canvas.
 *  by Leonardo da Vinci, ca 1503-1505, oil on poplar wood.
 * Bottom part of the  by Raphael, 1512, oil on canvas.
 *  by Johannes Vermeer, 1665, oil on canvas.
 *  by Michelangelo Buonarroti, ca. 1511, fresco.
 *  aka The Fall of Man by Albrecht Dürer, 1504, engraving.
 * Toulouse-Lautrec then shows  by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, ca. 1566, oil on canvas.

Errors

 * Primi amuse-bouche is garbled Italian and French. Primo or primo piatto is Italian for first course. Amuse bouche is French for a single-bite appetizer (lit. mouth amuser).
 * In the painting of Ed Crosswire, his coat is blowing in the opposite direction as the horse’s mane and tail. This was done correctly in the original painting of Napoleon.
 * Van Gogh says "asseyez-vous" to Buster. Since Buster is a kid, he should have said "assieds-toi".
 * Van Gogh is shown with both ears intact. His portrayal is based on a self-protrait from 1889, by which time he had cut off part of his left ear in a fit of madness. Van Gogh used a mirror for his self-portraits, so the ear on the original self-portrait is actually his right one.

Production notes

 * This episode aired the same day that Arthur Makes a Movie was released on DVD.