The Moon Goddess: Poussin's Selene and Endymion

We are getting close to the March full moon--it's only one day away.  Are you prepared?  It's also the first full moon of Spring, as it occurs just after Equinox.  The Church miscalculated.  Easter should be this Sunday, but instead it is late next month, after the next full moon.  It's difficult to get good help these days, even at the Vatican.

I've got my Polaroid 600 camera loaded with black and white film, and I've already taken one photo, which turned out better than most of the enlarged ones we saw at the gallery in Detroit last Thursday.

 My first Polaroid shot in many years!  A tree in our front yard.  

The interior rollers appear to be a bit dirty, but I can't clean them until the film is done.  I think it adds some ageing to the photo.    

Back to the moon goddess.  Who doesn't love a lovely moon goddess?  Poor Endymion, who fell madly in love with one, immortalized in Poussin's wonderful painting at the DIA.  This is one of a dozen or so paintings in the museum that it is worth crossing half the world to come and see in person.  I think it is the artist's finest picture, positively dripping with mythological madness.

Selene and Endymion, Nicolas Poussin, 1630.

122 cm x 169 cm.  Detroit Institute of Arts. 

According to the myth, if you fell in love with the moon goddess, you had to kiss her goodbye each morning.  The sun is just rising, with the curtain of night being flung back.  I'm not certain how the shepherd hopes to keep his sheep safe during the daytime, if he has been cavorting all night.  Interesting in this picture is how large the figures are, dominating the landscape.  This is one of the most poetic pictures I have ever seen, and I love that chariot racing across the sky.

The curtain of night is being thrown back, as Apollo 

shoots across the sky in his sun chariot. 

 Parting is such sweet sorrow.  Hopefully that dog will keep an eye

on the sheep, while Endymion catches a few Zzzs.

 No doubt about it--that moon goddess is a looker!  Love all the red hair.  Who knew that the moon goddess was a redhead?

Selene and Endymion, up close.

 Mr. Sunshine, coming to spoil everything. 

I finally have a concert date, as well as a tuned piano.  The concert will be Friday, March 29th.  I will run through my program for Philip Adamson on Thursday morning, prior to visiting Detroit.  I have switched my piano practice times to later in the day, to help adjust to my 7 pm performance time.  Every little bit helps.  So far four people have replied positively.

I finished reading the 27th and final book in my Avon/Equinox Rediscovery Series!  The final work was Black Easter by James Blish, a dark masterpiece of conjuring that has to be read to be believed!  It is part 3 of a 4-book series, so now I will have to back up and read the first two.  Currently reading a book of short stories from the 1950s by Robert Silverberg.  Pulp SF heaven!

Mapman Mike