John F. Francis, American
Caramel Apples Posing Nude on a Dare, 1859
Oil on panel
Follow That Is Priceless on Social Media and GoComics (the Link button):
Click to Follow This Blog or Share This Masterpiece:
MASTERPIECE #3446
John F. Francis, American
Caramel Apples Posing Nude on a Dare, 1859
Oil on panel
Info, or perhaps links that point to more info, about this artist can be found here, here (archived, if necessary), here (can be read in full for free on Fridays), here, here, here, here, and here, perhaps in addition to what’s in his Wikipedia page.
/// Chestnuts strewn near a plateful of fruit.
And a glass. (Could that be Absolut?)
Plus a jutting fruit knife
form this boring still life,
about which I do not give a hoot.
/// Nothing found in this painting suggests
grist for writing smart verses or jests.
The mind struggles, I grapple
with the best rhymes for “apple.”
For some, “chestnuts” means nuts about chests.
/// It is said Paris lusted for Helen’s,
thus abduction made both of them felons.
Apple gifted to goddess
caused Troy’s War. Helen’s bodice
showed the fruit Paris liked best was melons.
/// Paris got a reward, which was mighty,
for that apple he gave Aphrodite.
He received Helen’s love
from the goddess above.
(Left her husband in only her nightie.)
/// And this caused the ten years Trojan war,
with the bloodshed and death we deplore.
Spartan soldiers attack
to get Queen Helen back,
though that love spell had made her a whore.
/// So each apple reflected the light
in the manner he thought looked just right,
right before he’d begin
Francis polished each skin,
and then hid where he’d taken a bite.
——— or ———
/// A path through the forest was beaten,
to the trees filled with apples to sweeten
the bride’s nuptial meal.
Raisins have their appeal…
but the groom prefers when nuts are eaten.
(Inspired by the Song of Solomon.)