This is a funny episode, and very imaginative. I agree with the last reviewer. If you dabble in painting, it's even more interesting when it comes to the world of abstract art, especially in the 60s.
Series writer David Harmon cleverly did the episode in reverse. Instead of some goofball landing on the island, eccentric, BIG MOUTH know it all artist (in hiding!) Alexandre Dubov -- a Russian, but NOT a spy -- has actually been living on the island in secret for 10 years!
He suddenly makes his appearance, and announces he's a famous painter who has been hiding out from his critics? By the way, he also has a transmitter, which can get the castaways back to civilization.
Master character actor Harold J. Stone is a must see in this role, proving his versatility on steroids. You love to hate this egotistical maniac. Between all the insults (and there's a LOT), the secret plan is to portray Gilligan as a competitive abstract painter, and a better one than Dubov. This way they could force him to leave the island and get a hold of his transmitter.
Will it work? You probably can guess the wacky ending if you haven't seen this one a hundred times, but it is so much fun to watch, especially for Harold J. Stone. One thing for certain, there are a select few artists (in real life) who take after Dubov. That's probably what David Harmon had in mind to begin with.
Another original by director Jack Arnold, who works his magic with the cast. SEASON 1 EPISODE 34 remastered color. Get the classic dvd box set, both in black and white and color versions.