John William Godward, British
Ancient Roman Teenager Scrolling Through Her Texts, 1920
Oil on canvas
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MASTERPIECE #3137
Artist info at another blog entry.
/// John viewed Liv through a peep-hole he’d found,
so his painting’s a ”tondo;” it’s round.
At that hole in her wall,
(hard to see, because small),
John would watch while the woman was gowned.
/// On this day, what he peeped through the hole
was Liv sitting there reading a scroll.
An Edition de Luxe
would today cost big bucks
and require limber wrists to unroll.
/// We can see she’s a wealthy young girl.
Pricey parchment will smoothly unfurl.
And a large leopard’s fur
pads the seat under her.
The chair’s inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
/// When it comes to real fur decorations,
leopard pelts don’t receive her ovations.
But strong regulations
and fear of citations
will prevent her from skinning Dalmatians.
/// We have seen works by Godward before.
Pretty girls posed in Roman decor.
Often out in the sun,
beauties second to none,
showing skin ‘neath the gauze that they wore.