'Sultan's muscular figures offer a powerful representation of working class women. In Cutting Fish, the women cutting the fish exhibit a masculine demeanour in their facial features and muscular bodies reminiscent of Judith, Her Maid and Holofernes' Head by baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653). Her side profile eludes the male viewer's gaze. Although Sultan also represented women in the domestic domain in his painting Cutting Fish... Sultan's women seem to renounce their femininity through their masculine carriage... in his painting... the male-like physicality stands as a direct threat to the patriarchal structure which advocates that women are docile and submissive.'
Excerpt from 'Was Sultan a feminist?' by Selima Quader Chowdhury, Daily Star (2018)
Can we reproduce this artwork by gradually detailing the descriptions of its key elements while providing prompts to Dall.e 3?
Prompt 1
Generate an image: a woman cutting a fish to cook in a family kitchen, another woman sitting beside her with a boy on her lap
[Image code: IO2P1]
Prompt 2
Generate an image with this prompt: a woman cutting a fish with a long-curved blade held down by a foot platform to cook in handi (cooking pot) a family kitchen, another woman sitting beside her with a boy on her lap who is reaching out to touch the fish. A cat is also calmy sitting beside the boy. The women are wearing saris without their blouses and traditional ornaments.
[Image code: IO2P2]
Prompt 3
Generate an image: In a rural kitchen, a woman is seen cutting fish with a with a boti (long-curved blade held down by a foot platform) with a handi (cooking pot) in front of her. Next to her, another younger woman is sitting with her son on her lap. The boy is trying to catch fish with his hands. Beside them, a cat is sitting calmly. Both women are wearing sarees without blouses, and their hands and feet are adorned with bangles. In the doorway, a cow and a calf are visible. The calf is trying to drink water from a pitcher. Rice is being cooked on a clay stove in a pot. The kitchen wall is made of bamboo. The kitchen is filled with rural traditional textured patterns and domestic items including pottery, textile works.
[Image code: IO2P3]
Can we refine this generated artworks by gradually detailing the composition and context within these prompts?
Prompt 4 (with composition)
Generate an image: In a rural kitchen, a woman is seen cutting fish with a with a boti (long-curved blade held down by a foot platform) with a handi (cooking pot) in front of her. Next to her, another younger woman is sitting with her son on her lap. The boy is trying to catch fish with his hands. Beside them, a cat is sitting calmly. Both women are wearing sarees without blouses, and their hands and feet are adorned with bangles. In the doorway, a cow and a calf are visible. The calf is trying to drink water from a pitcher. Rice is being cooked on a clay stove in a pot. The kitchen wall is made of bamboo. The kitchen is filled with rural traditional textured patterns and domestic items including pottery, textile works. The color palette is warm, brown-ish and earthy and the three human figures are central to the image.
[Image code: IO2P4]
Prompt 5 (with context)
Generate an image: In a rural, primitive Bangladeshi kitchen, a woman is seen cutting fish with a with a boti (long-curved blade held down by a foot platform) with a handi (cooking pot) in front of her. Next to her, another younger woman is sitting with her son on her lap. The boy is trying to catch fish with his hands. Beside them, a cat is sitting calmly. Both women are wearing sarees without blouses, and their hands and feet are adorned with bangles. In the doorway, a cow and a calf are visible. The calf is trying to drink water from a pitcher. Rice is being cooked on a clay stove in a pot. The kitchen wall is made of bamboo. The kitchen is filled with rural traditional textured patterns and domestic items including pottery, textile works. The color palette is warm, brown-ish and earthy and the three human figures are central to the image. The women in the image are strong and muscular.
[Image code: IO2P5]
Can we further refine this generated artworks by suggesting particular Aesthetics/ Style within these prompts?
Prompt 6
In a rural, primitive Bangladeshi kitchen, a woman is seen cutting fish with a with a boti (long-curved blade held down by a foot platform) with a handi (cooking pot) in front of her. Next to her, another younger woman is sitting with her son on her lap. The boy is trying to catch fish with his hands. Beside them, a cat is sitting calmly. Both women are wearing sarees without blouses, and their hands and feet are adorned with bangles. In the doorway, a cow and a calf are visible. The calf is trying to drink water from a pitcher. Rice is being cooked on a clay stove in a pot. The kitchen wall is made of bamboo. The kitchen is filled with rural traditional textured patterns and domestic items including pottery, textile works. The colour palette is warm, brown-ish and earthy and the three human figures are central to the image. The women in the image are strong and muscular. Draw in non-Western impressionist style, add folk and decolonial touch.
[Image code: IO2P6]
Prompt 7
In a rural, primitive Bangladeshi kitchen, a woman is seen cutting fish with a with a boti (long-curved blade held down by a foot platform) with a handi (cooking pot) in front of her. Next to her, another younger woman is sitting with her son on her lap. The boy is trying to catch fish with his hands. Beside them, a cat is sitting calmly. Both women are wearing sarees without blouses, and their hands and feet are adorned with bangles. In the doorway, a cow and a calf are visible. The calf is trying to drink water from a pitcher. Rice is being cooked on a clay stove in a pot. The kitchen wall is made of bamboo. The kitchen is filled with rural traditional textured patterns and domestic items including pottery, textile works. The colour palette is warm, brown-ish and earthy and the three human figures are central to the image. The women in the image are strong and robust. Draw in non-Western impressionist style, add folk and decolonial touch similar to S M Sultan.
[Image code: IO2P7]
Well, weird things are happening! Can Bangla (native language) prompts solve the problem?
Prompt 8 (Translation of Prompt 7, using ChatGPT, and then correcting it)
একটি গ্রামীণ বাংলাদেশী রান্নাঘরে, একজন নারী একটি বটি দিয়ে মাছ কুটছেন, তার সামনে একটি হাড়ি। তার পাশে একজন তরুণ নারী ছেলে কোলে নিয়ে বসে আছেন। ছেলেটি তার হাতের মাধ্যমে মাছ ধরতে চেষ্টা করছে। তার পাশে একটি বিড়াল শান্তভাবে বসে আছে। উভয় নারী ব্লাউজ ছাড়া শাড়ি পরে আছেন, এবং তাদের হাত এবং পায় বালা। দরজার দিকে, একটি গাভী এবং একটি বাছুর দেখা যাচ্ছে। বাছুরটি কলসি থেকে পানি খেতে চেষ্টা করছে। মাটির চুলায় ভাত রান্না হচ্ছে। রান্নাঘরের দেওয়াল বাঁশ দিয়ে তৈরি। রান্নাঘর গ্রামীণ ঐতিহাসিক নকশা এবং প্রাচীন উপকরণ দিয়ে ভর্তি। ছবিটির কেন্দ্রে মানুষগুলো থাকবে, তারা বাদামী বা মাটির রঙের হবে। ছবিতে নারীদের শক্তিশালী এবং দৃঢ় প্রতীত করতে হবে। শিল্পী এস এম সুলতানের মত আঁকুন।
[Image code: IO2P8]
Well, seems like we not very close to Sultan's style! Can we ask ChatGPT itself to develop a prompt using the original image?
Unfortunately, the result by using this exact prompt (Prompt 9) is like:
[Image code: IO2P9]
Finally, is it possible to repurpose this artwork style in any speculative project?
Prompt 10
Using S M Sultan's style, draw women cutting fish in a rural Bangladeshi kitchen and make a poster for celebrating Women's Day with a text বাংলার নারী (Women of Bengal).
[Image code: IO2P10]
Well, this is not Bangla! Can you read this language? Or, AI just made this up!?