John Singleton Copley, American
The Artist’s Son With His Emotional Support Squirrel, 1771
Oil on canvas
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MASTERPIECE #3225
Info about this artist is pointed to by my comment in the another blog entry.
/// The gray squirrel he keeps on a chain
is just one Daniel managed to train.
It had suffered a sprain,
but Dan helped ease its pain,
for to do so is being humane.
/// Very sharp claws curve out from its toes.
It climbed up the boy’s calf and then froze,
clinging tight to his limb.
Daniel can’t dislodge him
without ripping long runs in his hose.
/// In captivity, can squirrels survive?
True, on just nuts and seeds they can thrive.
But this region abounds
with the neighbor boys’ hounds.
In a fight, squirrel won’t come out alive.
/// True, the squirrel would put up a fight,
nipping quick, and then zip, out of sight.
He is quick and he’s brave,
but would that his life save?
The dogs have greater size, weight and might.
/// His gray squirrel, for a meal sometimes hunted.
One day, Daniel, the rodent confronted.
His front pocket held food;
on Dan’s nuts his pet chewed,
and that’s why the boy’s growth appears stunted.
// Was John Copley a seer? It’s a riddle.
Daniel Verplanck was painted when little.
Yet, the sitcom kid who he
shares a face with is Dewey,
Malcolm’s brother in “Malc. in the Middle.”