Charles Amédée Philippe Van Loo, French
“I Don’t Get It. How Are You Supposed To Take a Selfie With This Thing?,” 1764
Oil on canvas
Follow That Is Priceless on Social Media and GoComics (the Link button):
Click to Follow This Blog or Share This Masterpiece:
What the devil is going on here? /
Has anyone looked at the year? /
Seventeen sixty-four! /
Why, that was before /
Tom Brady became “Buccaneer“!
Things are not always what they appear/
Perhaps what is going on here/
Is meant to imply/
that the kid ought to try/
For a photographer’s career.
Info, or links that point to more info, about this artist can be found here, here, here, here (can be read in full for free on Fridays), here (Google translated), here, and here (archived if necessary), perhaps in addition to what’s in his Wikipedia page (Google translated French Wikipedia page has more).
/// Taking long astronomical trips,
these three chase the moon’s umbra on ships,
They made sure to secure a
costly camera obscura,
so they safely could view each eclipse.
/// Luc will aim the lens up at the sun.
Young Céline always thinks it is fun
to conduct an inspection
of the solar reflection
in the box when eclipse has begun.
/// Meanwhile, Maman smiles down at a guy
holding glass caked with soot to his eye.
This new widow has plans.
“We’re astronomy fans.
We may share other loves, bye-and-bye.”
/// Estelle needs a new dad for her brood.
One with wealth to provide more than food.
At these solar events
she meets rich single gents,
and the soft, dimming light sets the mood.
/// As the darkening sun casts its spell,
he looks up at the smiling Estelle.
By a stone oval framed,
she can hardly be blamed
for flirtations with men who do well.
/// While the moon slowly covered the sun,
Estelle caught the attention of one
of the men here to view it.
He’s attracted— she knew it.
This astronomer from the Sorbonne.