Don’t look now…it’s gone

For those with a tape measure, who like to measure things, the Doge’s Palace in Venice houses the largest canvas painting in the world. For those who like a tipple, St Luke’s Square where it sits, is for those who have a bottomless purse to be able to afford even a half pint of lager. For the art lover it provides endless eye candy for those who enjoy the smell of oil paint and the grease of the elbow. 

This young girl has seen it all before in another watery grave in the fair city of Hull, in the barbaric north of England. She just came along for the ride and the drink and ended up becoming a connoisseur of the fantastic. 

The grand hall appears to have had a makeover. Featuring an image of Ms. Ghandi, it proports to demonstrate the political landscape of 1970’s India. She is holding an atom bomb, (my mother used to say, “there’s always money for wars”) along with piles of money and images of the Indian air force, which now out numbers our valiant few. She had the idea to reduce the number of Indians by vasectomy rather than war, but weekend frolics of Indians put paid to that. Of course, the pen being mighty than the sword if not the bomb served her well until her appetite followed a well-worn path to self-destruction for most despots through her dictatorial behaviour.  

Elsewhere in the picture, we see other timeless themes. In the bottom right we see how, consumed with power and the trinkets it amasses the rich and the powerful have girls who are added playthings to their golden playground. While others starve others bloat and pull the strings, we all must dance to. And remember to tap your forelock to the high and mighty, they easily get upset and she locked people up in droves. Also, on the dexter we have the 3 wise monkeys, in this case, Indians who see nothing, say nothing, and keep their mouths shut. On the same side and to the sinister we witness a group of miners causing a stir as they were inclined to do…while they could. They just wanted a few pence more but this did not align with the sums of their master’s and are being chased by the tigers of the state. Tigers along with monkeys get a good look in. Joseph is there to; the Indians have always had a soft spot for Uncle Joe and the bear. 

I could go on, but I would rather paint then juggle with words. 

But I must revisit the Albert and Tatlock Museum in London to gaze at the majesty of the Indian collection there. 

Ps. Did I see a young girl in red while I was in Venice or was it my imagination?