Brush with Greatness

"Brush with Greatness" is the eighteenth episode of the <a href="/facts/The_Simpsons_season_2/tGox9ulm">second season</a> of the American animated television series <a href="/facts/The_Simpsons/2nvy6mx6">The Simpsons</a>. It originally aired on <a href="/facts/Fox_Broadcasting_Company/yeFeCgGk">Fox</a> in the United States on April 11, 1991. In the episode, <a href="/facts/Marge_Simpson/TKGh5vyl">Marge</a> enrolls in an <a href="/facts/Art_class/Tb9UHM8A">art class</a> after <a href="/facts/Lisa_Simpson/LBIarvRK">Lisa</a> encourages her to revive her former interest in <a href="/facts/Painting/ygQ47K3b">painting</a>. When she wins first prize in a local art competition for a portrait of <a href="/facts/Homer_Simpson/8pdpz4yo">Homer</a> on the couch in his underwear, <a href="/facts/Mr._Burns/nuJgnfnv">Mr. Burns</a> commissions her to paint his portrait. In the subplot, Homer is determined to lose weight after getting stuck in a water slide at an amusement park.
The episode was written by <a href="/facts/Brian_K._Roberts/RUIFJpS9">Brian K. Roberts</a> and directed by <a href="/facts/Jim_Reardon/EWWd193h">Jim Reardon</a>. <a href="/facts/Beatles/2syHWLcM">Beatles</a> member <a href="/facts/Ringo_Starr/qNWrpcTc">Ringo Starr</a> guest starred as himself, while <a href="/facts/Jon_Lovitz/pFYyWkmm">Jon Lovitz</a> starred as Marge's art teacher, Professor Lombardo. The episode features cultural references to films such as <a href="/facts/Rocky/LNykCCBb">Rocky</a> and <a href="/facts/Gone_with_the_Wind_(film)/aWENzfln">Gone with the Wind</a>.
Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics, who praised its central focus on Marge, as well as Starr's role. It acquired a <a href="/facts/Nielsen_ratings/PJ1HH4H8">Nielsen rating</a> of 12.0 and was the second highest-rated show on Fox the week it aired.

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Brush with Greatness