Back By Popular Demand: More Odd Art
This incredibly lovely oil portrait by Benjamin West (1738-1820) depicts the dead politician Benjamin Franklin as he manfully attempts to electrocute himself while surrounded by half naked little boys. It's quite charming in a mildly odd and child-molesting sort of way. Note the powerful brushstrokes that create his wildly waving hair. Admire the obnoxiously pink babies playing with the mysterious machine as the very heavens split open to shine the light of hope and dangerous technology on the scenery. I especially love the dramatically billowing cape and the decorative parchment he's holding...
(click to enlarge)
posted by L at 8:57 PM
9 Comments:
hey that's perverse...where's his powdered wig?
So odd.
yeah, isn't this one weird?
Probably half those naked imps are his...
It looks to me like he's trying to hang the bed-linen out to dry but the wind is making it hard. As for the naked boys, (???)
Perhaps the problem here lies not in Ben Franklin but in the other Ben, the one painting all the wee naked tots.
I always find these naked little cupid things to be very disturbing
I'm always afraid to "click to enlarge". I'm traumatized by most of the odd art simply by the small size.
I always invisioned naked fairy boys at the discovery of electricity. Yea. That seems logical.
Admit it, you painted that! Dont lie!
And now Im mad because you've given me a craving to shop for decorative parchment.
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