Agapanthus Monet 1914-26

I recently noticed Claude Monet’s quote on my iTouch when I was at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC late September.

Around the same time, I read Elaine Sciolino’s article in the NYT’s Style Magazine about “Lumiere – The Louvre Less Traveled”. And I nodded in agreement that there was more to the Louvre than the 3 most popular visited works of Mona, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Venus de Milo.

She wrote “What about Michelangelo’s two marble nude Slaves…? The Dying Slave is beautiful, smooth-skinned, and young…; he seems to be in a deep slumber rather than on the verge of death. The Rebellious Slave is heavier, rougher, and tormented. They exude such raw eroticism, you feel as if you should turn away.”

She’s absolutely right as I managed to capture the two slaves in the Spring!

The Dying Slave-Michelangelo

The Rebellious Slave-Michelangelo

This rare book which is entitled “The Lady’s Companion: or, an Infallible Guide to the Fair Sex” is one of the first self-help books in Britain. Their target audience? They claim “virgins, wives, or widows”. According to The Daily Telegraph, this book was written “to help women resist life’s temptations” and will be auctioned off this month!

Here are a few “pearls of wisdom” to ponder:

a. She that listens to wanton discourse has violated her ears.
b. An old maid is now thought a curse.
c. And my favourite which left me speechless – Do not look lusty men in the eye, because “one careless glance gives more advantage than a hundred words.”

Going once, going twice…..I’ll stick to modern-day Roy Lichtenstein’s advice!

Roy's_Advice