After flipping through countless Victorian-era photo albums he’d dug up at flea markets and antique stores, tattoo-artist-turned-painter Saratoga Sake reached a conclusion: Everybody looked fucking miserable back then. The California-based Sake’s new exhibit, “Dames, Gents, and Suspects” (through Aug. 29), is a playful homage to the 19th century’s romantic yet macabre essence. His gorgeous paintings showcase a slew of pulsating hearts, sunken-eyed women, and children with woeful expressions that look like . . . well, like they lived in a time when Jack the Ripper was loose on the streets. Examine Sake’s paintings more closely, and you’ll detect a modern twist: His preferred instrument is an aerosol paint can. Suite 100 Gallery, 2222 Second Ave. Suite 100, 956-3900, suite100gallery.com. Free. Noon–6 p.m. ERIKA HOBART

Mon., Aug. 18, noon, 2008