Hi Christina,
Perhaps I had Rembrandt in mind as much as anyone else (though I have a
feeling he wasn't just painting himself because he couldn't afford a model,
that sounds too neat an explanation. I think he was doing more than
that...). And I think I'm also thinking about the picture I saw in Prague of
St. Luke Painting The Virgin by Jan Gossaert which helped me think a lot
about an artist including himself/herself in their art. he seemed quite
mischevious in what he was doing as well...
And I'm also desparately trying to think of the name of some US photographer
that's got some famous print of themselves. But each of the things I'm
remembering is far more complicated than what I've done here!
I guess I was only trying to talk about the briefness of the moment and the
time it takes to read a poem (and remember what was read in a few brief
seconds) so I'm not helping myself by the comparison I made in my reply!
Bob

>From: Christina Fletcher <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (Bob)
>Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 14:19:14 EST
>
>
>Which particular painting/paintings are you thinking of, Bob?  OK, one
>that
>springs into my mind is Velazquez' 'Las Meninas' but it's such a
>marvellously
>complicated painting about who's seeing what that I can't  relate it to
>what
>you're saying.  Then I think of the Rembrandt  self-portrait but I've a
>feeling that Rembrandt often painted himself because he  couldn't afford a
>model and
>I suspect he was being literally true to what he saw  when he painted
>himself
>painting.  And perhaps that's what you're doing in  your poem but somehow
>it
>feels tagged on rather than an integral part of the  whole. I suppose, in a
>way, I find the words 'poem' and 'poetry' hard to  take in any poem.  I'm
>not
>that sure what a poem is.  I feel  uncomfortable when anyone says they're a
>poet.  It's probably a hangover  from the days when they wore cloaks and
>velvet
>hats or considered themselves  something apart from the punters;-)
>bw
>christina
>
>You say  you're uncomfortable about poems that mention poetry. Yeh, half of
>me  agrees with you - but only half! (perhaps it's a bit like a painter
>painting him or herself painting...).
>
>
>