cf. Alphonse François (After Delaroche), “Napoleon Crossing the Alps” (1851) and
Dihl et Guérhard, “Napoleon Bonaparte as First Consul” (ca. 1800)
Pretzel Logic

cf. Alphonse François (After Delaroche), “Napoleon Crossing the Alps” (1851) and
Dihl et Guérhard, “Napoleon Bonaparte as First Consul” (ca. 1800)
cf. Edwin Austin Abbey, May Day Morning (1890-1894) and photograph by Carl Nenzen Loven via Unsplash
cf. Walter Gay, An Interior (1897) and William Henry Fox Talbot, Nicolaas Henneman Asleep (ca. 1844)
If you love me true
Just like I love you
This ember would turn back to flame…
cf. Maximilien Luce, The River Sambre in Charleroi (1896) and photograph by Greg Rakozy via Unsplash
But if a man would be alone, let him look at the stars. The rays that come from those heavenly worlds, will separate between him and what he touches. One might think the atmosphere was made transparent with this design, to give man, in the heavenly bodies, the perpetual presence of the sublime. Seen in the streets of cities, how great they are! If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile…
—Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature
She said I love the night
The day is OK and the sun can be fun
But I live to see those rays slip away…
cf. Charles E. Bolles, Sailboat (ca. 1890) and Dancing Sunlight on the Lake – YouTube
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free…
What thoughts I have of you tonight, Walt Whitman, for I walked down the sidestreets under the trees with a headache self-conscious looking at the full moon…
Will we walk all night through solitary streets? The trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses, we’ll both be lonely.
Will we stroll dreaming of the lost America of love past blue automobiles in driveways, home to our silent cottage?
—Allen Ginsberg, “A Supermarket in California” (excerpt)
cf. Andrew Wyeth, Chambered Nautilus (1956) and
NatureGoddess — Hail and rain hitting the window [HD] — YouTube
cf. Russell Lee, Young couple dancing… (1940) and photographs by Ryan Hutton and Bill Williams via unsplash.com
cf. Winslow Homer, Snap the Whip (1872)
cf. John Singer Sargent: Madame X (1883–84), Dr. Pozzi at Home (1881), and A Dinner Table at Night (1884)
cf. George Segal, “Three People on Four Benches” and Duane Hanson, “Man on a Bench”
Hello my friend, are you visible today?
You know I never knew that it could be so strange…
cf. newspaper ad illustration and photograph by Florian Klauer (edited)
“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.
–Emily Dickinson
Late at night when the wind is still
I’ll come flying through your door
And you’ll know what love is for
I’m a bluebird…
cf. John Singer Sargent, Conversation Piece (ca. 1885) and Art Hupy, Gene Zema house showing living room (ca. 1966)
cf. Gertrude Käsebier, Cornelia Montgomery (1900) and Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa
cf. Cristoforo Stati, Orpheus (1600–1601)
cf. marble female and male figures (Cycladic sculptures) (ca. 2600–2300 BC) and photograph by Henry McIntosh via unsplash.com