Happy Valentine's Day!!!

In honor of the holiday, I was going to post on all that is good and beautiful about love and flowers and puppies and sunshine and rainbows and peanut butter cups.... but most especially romance.



Here goes.








There was a young fellow named Skinner
Who took a young lady to dinner;
At half past nine
They sat down to dine,
And by quarter to ten it was in her.


There was a young lady of Norway
Who hung by her toes in a doorway.
She said to her beau:
"Just look at me Joe,
I think I've discovered one more way."


There was a young plumber of Leigh
Was plumbing a maid by the sea.
Said the maid, "Cease your plumbing,
I think someone's coming."
Said the plumber, still plumbing, "It's me."


A very smart lady named Cookie
Said "I like to mix gambling with nookie.
Before every race
I go home to my place
And curl up with a very good bookie."


There was a young lass from Dumfries
Who said to her lad, "If you please,
It would give me great bliss
If, while playing with this,
You would pay some attention to these."


Have you heard of the Widow O'Reilly,
Who esteemed her late husband so highly
That in spite of the scandal
Her umbrella handle
Was made of his membrum virile?

*all poetry attributed to Anonymous

In (Belated) Honor of Valentine's Day: Another Post on Odd Art!

(click to enlarge)

This absolutely incredible bronze and limestone work is a captivating portrait of George Phillip Vierheller, a former director of the St. Louis zoo. Sculpted by artist Richard Frazier in honor of Vierheller's retirement, this masterpiece captures the poignancy of the love between a man who loved animals and an animal who apparently loved him back.

While perhaps slightly inappropriate for very young children and elderly persons somewhat prone to apoplectic attacks, this seminal piece of work, which is also very green, proudly follows in the ancient tradition of erotic art long typified by such artists as Lorenzo Lotto, Antoine Watteau, and someone else whose name quite escapes me at this time.

One can only wonder: was this a love that dared not speak its name? Why would a man in such a position bear such a stoic expression on his face? And most importantly: is this really legal outside Alabama? The art historian can only ponder such mysteries; the answers may be lost to us forever.

* additional art reviews may be found under the "Odd Art" drop down under my avatar