Louis Moritz, Dutch
“A Strong Blow To This Part of the Head Will Generally Incapacitate an Attacker. Or You Could Always Just Kick Him in the Ol’ Grundlecharms,” ca. 1810
Oil on panel
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Info, and links that perhaps point to more info, about this artist can be found at his Dutch Wikipedia page (Google translated).
/// Betje sits for a Lesson in Drawing.
In the background, her maid is withdrawing.
Quickly heads for the door.
Having been here before
she has learned— very soon comes the pawing.
/// For anatomy he’s brought a sample
of a stone head to draw for example.
He has earned Betje’s trust.
While she sketches his bust,
he suggests he do hers, which is ample.
/// He explains to the girl, “This is ART,
of which, modeling nude is a part.”
On her flesh his eyes dwell,
then his fingers, as well.
“Artists must learn their subjects by heart.”
/// Moritz sensed that young Betje was thawing
to his “hands-on” approach to nude drawing.
“Foolish doubts you must tame.
Nature never knows shame.
Take a look at your dog (where it’s gnawing).
/// In his time as a teacher he’d found,
a wise rule-of-thumb plain, but profound.
If you’d keep students’ trust
they must never be trussed.
If she’s bound, you may be prison-bound.