for rodolphe

I recently mentioned a painting in conversation with a friend, a painting I had seen on the day of Stuart's wedding... after I'd just played the best wedding of my life and needed to go recharge, that is.  Later that afternoon I'd headed to the art museum and seen this painting during my time there... I was so deep in thought while admiring it that one of the guards seriously startled me when he asked me to step back behind the line.  Anyway, my friend later asked me again about the painting a day or two after our conversation and I couldn't remember either the title or the artist to save my life.  So I went back yesterday to take pictures, since you know, I've been a little camera-happy the last few days.

What is particularly striking about this is the camel skeleton in the foreground, which is what I was so anxious to see up close.  Also notice the one star in the distance watching over the Egyptian tombs and the setting sun.  Dillon's formation of clouds is also quite extraordinary.  The painting in general seriously reminds me of Aida, both in its Romantic nature, as well as its exoticism.  Truly beautiful, though not at all authentic... and by that, I mean highly stylized in its artistic qualities.  This painting is also in its original frame, which I found to be quite striking and interesting, given its unusual structure.

Sorry that the first picture is slightly crooked... I was a little rushed on my way to teach.