prey of a thorn

Bronzino, An Allegory with Cupid and Venus, 1545ish, National Gallery, London

This is the centre of the maze on the placemat at that restaurant where the food is not great but kids stayed entertained. The maze actually is the National Gallery and I am the purple crayon making her way through the spirals and turns until I arrive here, parking myself for a length of time.

It captivates me. Every time I see it another figure seems the most prominent. The colour is pure, the stylistic liberties mesmerising, the sensations strangely modern in spite of its obvious classisms. More than this is the aforementioned allegory itself. It is, to me, a rabbit's warren. Among others, Love, Pleasure and Play engage with Folly, Jest, Oblivion, Jealousy and Despair; together they are all revealed by Father Time. To me it reflects poignantly the multi-faceted nature of human interaction. Nothing is simple. There is always beauty to be found, usually along side a darkness; note even our curly-headed rose-thrower has fallen prey to a thorn in his foot.