Why didn’t I really like it?

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Mon, 28 Dec 2020
  • 2357 reads
15 comments
 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Girl_with_a_Watering_Can

A copy of this
was given by an aunt
when I was quite young.
She was loving and kindly
but slightly feared as
she was a primary school headmistress,
with an authoritative air.

I think I was told I
should appreciate it
as it was a classic painting
– our wall ‘pictures’ were few.
I suspect my parents weren’t
particularly taken with it,
as I cannot remember being
‘taught’ of its features.

As a young child
I think I liked its brightness
but disliked what seemed like
artificiality:
was it the clothes
(of another era, another place)?
– I don’t think so, really, though
the slope of the dress
may have puzzled me.

I don’t think I ever noticed
the daisies in her hand.
The bush and bank didn’t seem as alive
as those I could see outside.

But I think it was really
that I could feel no connection
with the character of the little girl:
her pretty face and clothes were on display
– like a statue, though with soft real skin and blush.
But she is looking away,
not at the painter
so there is no character spark
in her eyes, no sense of depth
or fun, of mischief, or shared joke.

[IP: ekphrastic prose or poetry]

 

Certificate U
Poem
Families
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Rhiannon,

you've certainly captured the essence and your feelings for this painting in a poetic way.

Hope New Year inspires you to write more of your poetry.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Jenny. It was interesting to try to analyse that guilty feeling of not really liking the 'pretty picture'. I hadn't thought about the eyes turned away, but I think I would have liked to feel she was 'knowable' to some extent, even if imaginatively!

I hope you are keeping well, and have had some enjoyable scrabble! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by hudsonmoon on

Muchj enjooyed this, Rhiannon. Hope you had a wonderful holiday dispite everything.

Rich x

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Rich. I hope you are coping in the difficulties over there. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you for the cherries. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Really enjoyed this -- I've had the same reaction to this painting but not actually followed the thought process of why and you've hit the nail on the head. 

Hope you've managed to have a lovely break. 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you , Mark! As I said to Jenny, I hadn't stopped to think about my reaction as a child before, but the IP set me thinking! Yes, it's been a good break, thank you. I hope it's been so for you. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Am not surprised you didn't like this painting, it is HORRID!!! The poor little girl having to stand outside in hot sun in a thick velvet embroidered dress that must have cost a fortune so mustn't touch anything. Having to hold the (metal then, so heavy) watering can out, away from her, which must have made her arm stiff. Told to stay still for ages and pretend to be a flower, but flowers can blow in the wind or turn their faces to the sun, or feel the patter of rain. She is the exact opposite of lillies of the field not worrying about clothes.

And she is just what grown ups seem to think is pretty, in a completely unachievable way, so bound to make a real little girl feel unhappy about herself

Your poem is brilliantly down to earth :0)

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Wow, Di, you are damning! I don't know that we know how hot it was, or how long she had to stand there, as he may have made sketches at different times. I don't suppose she had anything to say about the kind of clothes she wore, and for that matter, her parents were presumably in a place in society where such clothers were the norm!

As I said, we just can't tell whether she was unhappy with herself, or her other thoughts, though she does look fairly happy, and at that age many do have that sort of prettiness which settles down for many as they grow up a bit!

As I said in the poem I think I wanted to see some sparkle in her eyes to try to know her as  a little girl, maybe a friend.

thanks for sharing all your thoughts! Rhiannon

(i know I've used too many exclamation  marks again, but it's so difficult writing things with no visual contact, they sometimes seem to help!!)

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

:0) I would be a terrible art critic.

I hadn't noticed you using lots of exclamation marks? Is better than being like me and president Trump using capital letters all the time ...

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Oh, no, I think we need to be honest about how we find such, but also, maybe discuss? Thanks for all your comments. I also tend to want to use italic and bold and underline a lot! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Understandable!

She was loving and kindly
but slightly feared as
she was a primary school headmistress,
with an auth!oritative air.

I think of a convent not that I've ever been in one!

Good! Have a great day!

CHEERS!! Tom Brown

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Tom. She was a headmistress of an ordinary state primary school. And she was very kind, but I was a bit in awe of her!

She told me she'd buy me a skipping rope when I learnt to skip I think (I was a bit backward in that, probably), and I wrote her an excited letter to tell her I had learnt, and missed a letter out of  the key word. I suspect that I re-wrote the little letter! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by peterelbee on

Hi Rhiannonw. 

Interesting thoughts on the 

You cannot force people to like something, if it is something contary to their taste. It reminds me of a story a friend of mine told me. She bought someone a small landscape painting for their brthday. It seems the person didn't really like it and secretly re-gifted it to someone else, whom in turm re-gifted it to thier friend and so on. The gift eventually returned to my friend in the way of a christmas present. She had to laugh. 

lezismore  

 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Certainly shows how tastes can vary! But what a cautionary tale, and must have given her secret amusement.

My in-laws once broke a pottery gift my mother had given them, and begged me to buy a replacement next time I visited her, from the local potter from which she'd bought it. I tried to tell them that my mother would in no way be offended if they told her. To my amusement, when my mother next visited them, the broken pot was still somewhere in sight, as well as the new. But I dont' think my mother noticed! Rhiannon