Jules-Alexandre Patrouillard Degrave, French
“Antique, My A**. Last I Checked, Limoges Vases Didn’t Come With West Elm Price Tags,” 1869
Oil on canvas
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Info, or perhaps links that point to more info, about this artists can be found here, perhaps in addition to what’s in his French Wikipedia page (Google translated, if necessary).
/// Four Sournoise sisters gather to gaze
at the pictures one found on The Vase,
which boldly portrays
a nude satyr who “plays”
with nude nymphs and the lust he displays.
/// Bold Mirelle was the first to discover
the lewd scenes on the jar high above her.
Brought her sisters to learn
about sex from this urn—
a keepsake from their grand-mère’s ex-lover.
/// Mirelle points out a detail or two
of the frank “facts of life” which she knew.
All the girls were impressed.
From the way she is dressed,
it is clear she enjoys working blue.
/// Eldest sister, Anne, had to pretend
that she’d heard this before from “a friend,”
but the simple truth was
that the scenes on this vase
were of things she cannot comprehend.
/// Anne is now twelve years old, of an age
when her life will be turning a page.
She will flirt with the boys,
but prefers “simple” joys.
Fears of puberty: hard to assuage.
/// Youngest sister, Babette, is clear-eyed.
She takes all she is leaning in stride.
A nude man? Well, of course,
she has seen their male horse
when she dismounted after a ride.
/// The last sister, Simone, appears shy.
Holds Anne’s hand, but cannot meet her eye.
The vase holds no allure.
Thinks she’d rather stay pure
than to ever do that with some guy.
/// Later on, no doubt, Simone will find
that (as clichés agree), love is blind.
As she grows and matures,
Mother Nature assures
time and hormones will help change her mind.
/// Nowadays Net and cellphones combine
to allow children younger than nine
to see filth of all kinds,
(which can warp tender minds);
there is nothing they can’t see online.
/// Years ago children weren’t as smart.
Grownups didn’t some info impart.
Kids were only aware
of what adults did bare,
by observing the nudes in fine art.