.
Through history’s patina, she smiles,
…sending a message of loss and misery,
……thickly veiled beneath layers of candy fantasy,
………as she dreams of multitudinal possibilities
…………that may make her free.
.
The rusting cove leads to open sea,
…but many decimating perils may precede it.
……Like the child within me, she longs to be cast adrift
………from the secret behind her smiling sheen.
…………In silence, Mona speaks to me.
.
The Daily Post #Adrift
©Jane Paterson Basil
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Mona has been used so much over all these years
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Yes, but not by me, until now. This is my reaction my smile being compared to hers, when I was in my teens. I found it really irritating.
I prefer Van Gogh’s work – and that of a lot of other artists, to the painting of poor old Mona.
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She looks like she hides a lot of secrets
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Maybe she had some dirt on Leonardo Da Vinci, and she was planning to blackmail him 🙂
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Maybe … now there’s a thought? It is also said that it is Leonardo himself, in drag, women’s clothes? Having seen the painting once, in the Louvre. A long time ago. I was hard pressed to find it as magnificent as we are led to believe. It was hard to stay then, for the line of tourists was pressing to gawk.
I like art galleries. I sit and watch as people wander to see the art. Standing usually for just a few seconds before moving on, to the next exhibit. How can you truly see, these things if not stopping, to view for long enough? One of my personal faves was the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. Where there was a place on the stairs, that you could see almost all of the paintings from one point. I like most of his paintings. Who does not?
The Rijksmuseum was also good. It houses more than Dutch painter’s work. Thought the list of painters there, in one place, seems unparalleled. Like others, my favourite is Rembrandt. The Master of darks and light.
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I’ve been to the Louvre. I wasn’t going to bother to see the Mona Lisa, since the museum houses so many paintings which I consider far more important, but my ex insisted I should take a look at the most famous painting in the world. As I stood on tiptoes behind the crowd – briefly, just to get it over with – all I could think about was that somewhere in the building was a room full of the work of the greatest artist who ever lived, and I wanted to go there. Being surrounded by Van Gogh’s paintings was a moving experience for me; I’d thought I knew how beautiful his paintings were, but the pictures in the books I’d poured over since about the age of six didn’t even begin to do justice to the originals. It brought me to tears. I visited the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam a few years later, but it didn’t affect me in the same way – although it affected me enough to wipe out a lot of my memories of going to the Rikjmuseum the previous day. However, maybe that was what changed my opinion of Rembrandt. I’d never had any interest in him before.
Seeing original works can change your view of an artist. For example, I never rated John Singer-Sargeant before I saw an exhibition of his work. His talent for bringing portraits to life was uncanny.
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Great poem. Jane, you are such a talented poet. Have you submitted to any literary journals?
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Thank you Chris.
No – I haven’t looked into it. People say I’m brave. They don’t know how limited I am by my fear of failure.
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Another option is to self-publish a Kindle e-book. I think people would buy your work.
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I missed this comment when you wrote it – thanks for the suggestion, I should look into it if I ever get myself organised enough.
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Phenomenal! 🌹🌹🌹😎
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Thank you, Dorna.
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love it also, saw the actual art work in Paris … it’s so tiny but quite profound, eyes feel like they follow you around! I reckon she’s got dirt on him ..
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Yes, those eyes… maybe she sees all our secrets, Lol.
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it certainly feels like she does … it’s uncanny
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I don’t understand what all the hype is about Mona Lisa. Maybe it’s all the mystery surrounding her, and the endless discussion about it that has raised her to the pedestal of fame. Like Princess Di and Elvis……although they did do stuff as well 🙂
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I saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. I wanted to see Van Gogh’s incredible work, and annoyed at being waylaid by my ex. I wasn’t impressed.
I’ve seen that half-smile on the faces of babies with wind… that’s all I have to say on the matter 😉
As for Van Gogh, the prints you see in books don’t show half of it. He was an artistic genius.
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I will never look at a windy baby the same way again 🙂
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Windy babies are works of art 🙂
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Yeah 🙂 I’m going to see one on Friday. The first grandchild born on Markku’s side of the family. She decided to arrive early and has only just been discharged home about a week ago.
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A new baby, how lovely…
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I’ve seen photos – she weighed 2.1kg at birth – she didn’t look much bigger than her dad’s mobile phone ressting next to her 🙂
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Small, but not worryingly underweight by today’s standards. I’m guessing she’s in good health now, or she wouldn’t have gone home.
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Yes, she is.
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