Gathering Shot

 

The Mask of the Sun

 

 

The Mask of the Sun

 

Venus and Jupiter, occluded, sanguine notes through corridors fell.  Wild anguish of accordion, clarinet, cloud banks of frost and dusk.  Intention was to see the mummies, not the clavicle of coronas, Robert H. Barlow I guess hunting for alligators, goofballs snake charmer.  In its stead, creaked raven’s beak, essence of coals mummified in Sol’s face, humbling of Caesar’s petroglyphs, I have seen the yelling of bronze spokes in flooded Telemark.  Intent was, ceremonial mask whistling, bitumen lich crotch, the weasel head really stunk they said.  Cat fang trapped in ton of bombs.  A traveler gone elegant, Nosferatu bells pounded effortlessly, pasty lips still.

JF December 27, 2013

Untitled Painting, tempera on paper, 1986

"Dutch" humor, 1915

 

 

 

 

A couple more shots from Père Lachaise

 

 



Headstone of the Iranian author Sadegh Hedayat in Père Lachaise, and a view of the dense necropolis. Hedayat's novel The Blind Owl, with its mystical refrains and echoes of Poe, and some of his short stories affected me greatly when I read them years back.  After I took the photo, an Iranian fan of the writer appeared, also taking a picture.  I spoke with the man briefly.  He said, "There he is... He died much too soon."

Père Lachaise

Jim Morrison's grave;  the wall at which some of the holdouts of the Paris Commune were executed May 28, 1871;  and Marcel Proust's gravesite.  Some elderly woman came up to me, speaking in Italian, I think.  All I could get out of what she said was JEEM Morrison, interspersed with other things.  I thought she was looking for his resting place, and pointed in the general direction.  She shook her head, walking off saying JEEM Morrison.  Later I acted as an ad hoc tour guide, directing some guys from Strasbourg, France to the spot -- and it was the first time I had visited Père Lachaise.  I also showed up with the right timing to witness a coffin unloaded from a hearse, and marched up the hill by pallbearers to the decedent's final sleep, just like in the movies.  I did not take a picture, due to not getting my camera ready fast enough respect for the survivors.

 

 

 

 

 

People standing before the Mona Lisa, the Louvre

 

Louvre

Today I went to the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and some other sites.

 

A few weird things I saw around Amsterdam

Anne Frank House

 

Today I toured the Anne Frank Museum -- photo represents the view out of the lower part of the building with the hidden rooms.

Rijksmuseum

Obligatory shot.  Today paid a visit to the Rijksmuseum.  Some Dutch guy started talking to me about a 17th century domestic painting, insisting I explain why "I liked it." He went on to say, "I'm from here, and this is my first visit (to the museum)... shame on me."

Amsterdam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I visited the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Montana 1919

 

 

 

My maternal grandfather (on the right of the photo) and one of his brothers.

Oneonta Gorge, 1912

 

 

 

link:  Oneonta Gorge