The Pandorica Opens


 * You may be looking for the Doctor Who television story of the same name.

The Pandorica Opens, also known as Blue Box Exploding, was one of the final paintings by Vincent van Gogh, painted in 1890 and inspired by transmissions he picked up from 102 AD Stonehenge.

History
Stonehenge concealed the Pandorica, a prison box designed by the Alliance to contain the Doctor. The stones were secretly transmitters that broadcast a signal everywhere, throughout time saying "the Pandorica is opening". Vincent van Gogh heard the transmissions in his dreams and painted "The Pandorica Opens".

The painting remained undiscovered behind a wall in an attic in France until 1941, when it came to the attention of Professor Edwin Bracewell. Bracewell took it to Winston Churchill, and the two recognised it as a message to the Doctor. Churchill phoned the Doctor to alert him, but was diverted to River Song in the year 5145, alerting her of its existence. (DW: The Pandorica Opens)

In the year 3110, the painting was hung in the Musée d'Orsay before being given to the Doctor. (WC: The War of Art)


 * Presumably, he later gave it to the Royal Collection.

In the 52nd century, River escaped from the Stormcage Containment Facility in which she was being held, and went in search of the painting. She located it in the Royal Collection, where she tried to steal it so that she could deliver it to the Doctor. She was confronted by Liz 10 but was allowed to leave when she explained the nature of the painting to Liz. River then met with - and blackmailed - a blue-skinned alien salesman called Dorium in order to get hold of a Vortex Manipulator. Using the Vortex manipulator, she time-travelled to Planet One and wrote "HELLO SWEETIE ΘΣ Φ ΓΥΔϟ", and the temporal co-ordinates for Britain, 102 AD. There she gave the Doctor the painting. (DW: The Pandorica Opens)