Julio Romero de Torres, Spanish
When Geoffrey and Beth’s Daughter Was Born, They Admitted They’d Always Wanted a Girl. “Shocker,” Said Their Sons. 1919
Oil and tempera on canvas
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Info, or perhaps links that point to more info, about this artist can be found here, here (archived if necessary), here, here (can be read in full for free on Fridays), here, here, here, and here, perhaps in addition to what’s in his Wikipedia page (Google translated Spanish Wikipedia page has more).
/// ‘Neath the same double curl in their hair,
the Basabe boys creepily stare.
They have lightly rouged lips,
girlish legs, hands on hips.
Father hopes they will soon grow a pair.
/// Young boys then often wore “female” clothes;
lots of lace, Mary Janes hide their toes.
Show some thigh in short shorts,
yet they’re both good at sports.
Still, that doesn’t explain how they pose.
/// Mother holds their revered younger sister.
Young and cute; right now none can resist her.
Yet, in just a few years
she’ll confirm Father’s fears
saying: “Hi, I am Juan. Call me ‘Mister.’”
/// Father’s “Old Guard” and he fears the worst.
He’s convinced that his family is cursed.
He should be empathetic.
The real cause is genetic.
In his spawn certain hormones reversed.
/// He can’t fathom his children at all,
yet the irony here isn’t small.
That his kids are all queer
is this father’s worst fear,
yet he posed right behind a Stonewall.