MASTERPIECE #3279

/// Well-trained dog waits for van der Helst’s cue.
The hound needs his consent to pursue
that nearby butterfly
which keeps fluttering by.
Canine instincts call: catch it and chew!

/// The dog stares at her master’s left hand,
and awaits the enabling command.
She’s a loyalty symbol,
while the butterflies, nimble,
for rebirth or for fickleness stand.

/// This self-portrait of Bartholomeus
has some elements meant to dismay us.
He leans back, so his hair
blends with vines growing there,
though his clothing says he’s of high status.

/// Rich black velvet, gold braid and white lace,
frame his pudgy and odd-looking face.
An awkward half-grin
and a cleft double-chin
under eyes that stare out into space.

/// A self-portraitist must strike a balance:
Feed his ego or showcase his talents.
His face should have been fatter,
but he wanted to flatter
his looks, dressed up like one of those “gallants.”

/// Bart was famed for the portraits he sold.
He had patrons to spare— none cajoled.
Yet, self-portraits he drew
numbered more than a few.
Seems his likeness he loved to behold.

/// If you’re poor, as was Vincent van Gogh,
when you ask folks to pose, most say, “No!”
van der Helst turned away
patrons eager to pay
for a portrait or family tableau.

/// Bart was famous and much in demand,
but it seems, for some reason, he planned
to be painting collections
of his mirrored reflections.
(Perhaps he was promoting his “brand.”)

/// From the evidence I’ve got the notion
that this Dutchman displayed great devotion
to the images made
when himself he portrayed.
It’s the essence of crass self-promotion.