Almanac Poetry – Nineteenth Century Street Scene: Evening
Print on wall of Geelong motel room. [Photograph by Kevin Densley.]
Nineteenth Century Street Scene: Evening
Gaslit Paris!
Violet dusk.
Man in top hat, with cane,
accompanies a woman
in a long white dress
with ruffled sleeves.
She holds a parasol,
and leads a curly terrier.
They cross the rainswept street.
A horse-drawn carriage approaches.
On the nearby corner, a girl,
blue ribbons in blonde hair,
sells pink and purple flowers.
Paris!
Gaslit Paris!
. . .
My gaze turned
from this picture on the wall
when the lady pizza deliverer
knocked on my motel room door.
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About
Kevin Densley is a graduate of both Deakin University and The University of Melbourne. He has taught writing and literature in numerous Victorian universities and TAFES. He is a poet and writer-in-general. His fifth book-length poetry collection, Please Feed the Macaws ... I'm Feeling Too Indolent, was published in late 2023 by Ginninderra Press. He is also the co-author of ten play collections for young people, as well as a multi Green Room Award nominated play, Last Chance Gas, published by Currency Press. Other writing includes screenplays for educational films.
Much to ponder KD. Went googling for the original? Is it Renoir’s or Domino’s? Paris or Vienna? The wide square & formal architecture. The Paris end of Collins Street? Le Knockoff?
Hi PB. My short answer regarding the original painting is “I don’t know who did it.” This is a little unusual for me, as usually I’m meticulous about such things. I must have occupied the motel room in which this print was displayed more than thirty times. I’m pretty sure I would have noticed a reproduced signature if one was prominent or, indeed, present in any way – and I did examine the print pretty closely on a number of occasions. The print struck me as something pretty generic in the impressionist/post-impressionist mode; in other words, an imitative piece of motel room art. “Le Knockoff” could be a prime candidate! That said, I’m pretty certain the location is Paris, though not 100% on this.
RE Renoir: you may have been picturing something like “Les Parapluies” (The Umbrellas), c. 1883, in your head.