Al Zolynas’ ‘An Interpretation of Chanticleer’
AN INTERPRETATION
OF GUY PÈNE DU BOIS’ PAINTING,
CHANTICLEER, 1922
Al Zolynas
Monsieur in profile, top hatted, spats and cane,
straightbacked, all energy and power, has burst
into the frame from the right.
He is in mid-stride,
crossing the muddy green carpet, coattails flying,
not even a glance at the red wall’s
blurry masterpieces.
Chubby old James, loyal retainer,
gold-vested butler, doorman,
as always unobtrusively
holds the door open for him.
In shadow, out on the deck,
we see Madame—or Mademoiselle—
her back turned.
She gazes into the urban grey and blue,
probably Paris, could be New York.
She may be tapping her foot (it’s
really hard to tell in a painting, isn’t it?):
“Besides his money, whatever drew me to
this insufferable peacock?”
http://dp.hightechhigh.org/~jrobin/Projects/Motive_and_Motif/sdart2/pages/Chanticleer%20Guy%20Pene%20Dubois%201922.htm
