Bob,
For some reason, this made me smile.  I read a lot of irony into it.  The
soon to be bored virgin, So many virgins. So many painters.  I am biased
against the word "WoW" since first seeing it on Education Rock and Sesami
Street as a kid.  You downplay them like "Hey" so I think that was a bit of
goosing, right?.  If not, it was fun.  I always like when someone gives me
insight into a painting and this is great because that insight is inside a
poem. -Annabelle

-----Original Message-----
From: The Pennine Poetry Works [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Bob Cooper
Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2004 4:49 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Pausing In The Gallery


H'm, guess I should blame Sue (cheekily) for this one getting written!
Anyway, all comments welcome:


Pausing In The Gallery

And here’s St. Luke Drawing The Virgin.
She doesn’t yet look bored as he draws.
Hey. Stoop down. Look. There -
the paint beneath his fingernails. Wow.

Now stand, relax. He’s been at it for some time,
see how he’s kicked off a shoe,
and look at his sketch in the painting,
two images of the Virgin.

And now step back, notice  * I would take out "And now" and just say "step
back, notice..."
in the background there’s another Luke
painting another Virgin. The one in the front’s
Jan Grossaert, the artist – but who’s the other?

So many virgins. So many painters. Some visible,
some invisible. See. Such is the insight of art.

Bob Cooper


St. Luke Drawing The Virgin
by Jan Gossaert (Mabusse)
The National Gallery, Prague

_________________________________________________________________
It's fast, it's easy and it's free. Get MSN Messenger today!
http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger