Frank Earle Schoonover, American
“Don’t Lie To Me, Edgar! I Know You’re Drunk, Because the Room Is Spinning,” 1912
Oil on canvas
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Info, or links that point to more info, about this artist can be found here, here, here (can be read in full for free on Fridays), here, and here, perhaps in addition to what’s in his Wikipedia page.
Perhaps more about the artist can be found here.
/// This Pulp painting asks, “What Happened Here?”
(Things are not always as they appear.)
They may be on a boat.
Listing hard; still afloat?
Does the woman show shock, guilt, or fear?
/// There’s a man in a wet shredded shirt
(who is dead, or dead drunk, or just hurt)
held up by an old salt.
Was what happened his fault?
This strange Rorschach test may disconcert.
/// The old salt held the rescued man higher.
The girl stared at him, warm with desire.
Or… perhaps she was not,
for black smoke, thick and hot,
indicates that her room is on fire!
/// I would guess this is an illustration
from a pulp novel’s lurid narration.
A melodramatic
tale of passions traumatic,
summed up in this visualization.
/// Frank Earle trusts this ambiguous scene
with its hints of events unforeseen,
will leave you in suspense
so you’ll spend a few cents
at the newsstand for this magazine.
/// Their ship went on a mystery quest,
which the captain kept close to the vest.
All he wrote in his log:
“Island, shrouded in fog
is our goal at thirteen degrees West.”
/// A man, Bill, was on board, who’d regret
that he’d come with a lovely brunette.
Just before they departed
for this island uncharted,
he admitted his state— deep in debt.
/// The ship’s captain, convinced there was wealth
to be seized from this island by stealth,
sent the young man ashore
to observe and explore.
Bill agreed, to ensure the girl’s “health.”
/// He returned, half-drowned, battered and bruised.
By Bill’s tale, captain wasn’t amused.
For, according to Bill, a
thirty foot tall gorilla
was the reason he’s torn and contused.
/// Filled with rage, Cap refused to be conned.
He made Bill and the girl go beyond
the huge wall cross the isle
where, in just a short while,
Kong ate both. (Neither one was a blonde.)