Let me tell you a story. An old one…

Length: < 1 min

This wonderful, rich, detailed, full of symbols and ideas, OLD picture was lofted my way by Val, earlier today. I’ve been looking at it, on and off, since then. It’s a pure visual delight with so much that bears repeated eye-balling in an attempt to untangle both content and meaning.

I realise that there is no excuse for making excuses but my excuse today, that posts won’t (easily) post is a good reason to not post here. Except I will. Post that is. And to say that I’ll expand this one and keep working on stories in a different screen. I promise.

A Meat Stall with the Holy Family Giving Alms is a painting] by the Netherlandish artist Pieter Aertsen (1508–1575).[3] It was completed in 1551.[4] A large painting, it depicts a peasant market scene, with an abundance of meats[5] and other foods. In the background, it shows a scene from the biblical theme of the flight into Egypt,[6] where the Virgin Mary is seen stopped on the road, giving alms to the poor.[3] Thus, although the painting seems to be at first sight an ordinary still life concentrating on foodstuffs, it is rich with symbolism; it in fact hides a symbolic religious meaning, and embodies a visual metaphor encouraging spiritual life. Aertsen made a name for himself during the 1550s painting scenes from everyday life in a naturalistic manner. — A Meat Stall with the Holy Family Giving Alms by Pieter Aertsen, dated 1551

I am sure every real writer (I’m not one) also had those days when the universe conspires against them, little, devilish, stumbling blocks that trip and delay and frustrate and stall one. Today is just such day.

I am slightly brain-dead after long hours of fuck-wittery (by others, not my own, I assure you), so am going to pretend that I’m the UK version of Hunter S Thompson and go out and blast shells from my magnum handgun at the local coyotes across the other side of the ravine…

Or maybe just eat a slightly stale, buttered currant bun and have a small glass of red wine.

Let me tell you a story. An old one…

2 thoughts on “Let me tell you a story. An old one…”