The north wind and I are friends, I like where we overlap It gets under my jacket, Balloons me like a blowfish I let it tousle my hair, I feel it drowning in me; It snuggles—soon becomes me— Now I know what the wind knows. © selma
Title: Caricature of a windblown woman on the beach at Rottingdean, Sussex
Artist: Sir Edward Burne-Jones (British, Birmingham 1833–1898 Fulham)
Date: August 1893
Medium: Black chalk
Dimensions: Sheet: 13 9/16 × 9 3/4 in. (34.5 × 24.8 cm)
Classification: Drawings
Credit Line: Gift of Jacqueline Loewe Fowler, 2020
Accession Number: 2021.16.9
Burne-Jones produced caricatures throughout his career to entertain friends and family.
These also offered an emotional release as visual opposites to the ideal forms that filled
the artist’s paintings. In the 1860s, when Burne-Jones and William Morris shared rooms at
Red Lion Square, the artist often contrasted his own thinness to his friend’s rotund figure.
The present image is one of many focused on large women and reflects Burne-Jones’s
concurrent fascination with, and horror at, obesity. He created this drawing to entertain
Bertram Brooke, the future Tuan Muda of Sarawak, while the latter was a teenager
recooperating from serious illness. The recipient treasured the drawing and later gave it
to his wife Gladys. In a memoir of 1929, she identifies the subject as a woman honeymooning
at Rottingdean, Sussex (a suberb of Brighton where Burne-Jones had a country house), but
specifies it must be “a widow remarried, as there is no indication of virginal contours.”
Art in Public Domain: As part of the Met’s Open Access policy, you can
freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.
Selma,
This is like a dance with the north wind. The vivid imagery of it ballooning you like a blowfish and becoming a part of you is both whimsical and profound. It’s amazing how you’ve captured the essence of the wind’s embrace.
~David
I was so impressed with that art piece that the words soon populated the page. No bragging but I shared because I liked what resulted. So happy you enjoyed it, David. Blessings.
Love that tremendous last line: a secretive knowledge now shared in a highly personal way. What joy!
What a joyous comment, my friend. Thank you for liking it. It became personal. 👏🏽 xo
💖
Oh, I love this, Selma! Great poem!
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
Yvie, so pleased to know you liked this. Xo
quite the dance!
The dance … 👏🏽 💕
ah, to know what the wind knows –
Yes, 🙌🏽 😉
Nice
Becoming the wind – sounds a soulful goal
To become it. Ah! Soulful for sure.
😊
Hi Selma, what a wonderful poem. I also love the wind so long as it isn’t accompanied by icy rain and hail. I like the picture and your notes about it.
I was impressed by that piece. So pleased to know you enjoyed reading, dear Robbie. Blessings.
Hugs, Selma
you and the wind such soulful friends that blow truths into our minds and soul, Selma❣️
I’m so happy you read, lady Cindy. The wind itself for one day—if ever. Clap. Be well, my sweet.
Yes indeed a wonderful way the wind has. And you do the same❣️
Selma, this gorgeous poem reminds me of how much I loved walking in winter winds when I was young. Wind was a fun-loving playmate! I can almost see you with your windblown hair and inflated coat! Your inner child is alive and well! <3
Ahh. The wind, a playmate. You made me smile so big. Thanks for reading and commenting, sweet friend. Xoxo
Lovely sensations in this poem, Selma! And I like the interesting notes about the artist below 🙂
The notes got me. I wanted to write something that didn’t take the spotlight away from the art piece. Glad you enjoyed, Sunra. Blessings.
A great illustration for your words, and thanks for all the information on the artist as well. (K)
The artist is amazing, I just needed to share this. Thanks for appreciating, K. XO
Lovely & impressive words written & introduction of wind in poem
” Balloons me like a blowfish
I let it tousle my hair,
I feel it drowning in me; soo…. great lines. Wonderful photo by artist! Nice you share the artist information!
Thanks most dearly, dear Raj. Glad you appreciated. Bless you b
Most welcome my dearest!
Glad too!
Thanks most dearly, dear Raj. Glad you appreciated. Bless you, my friend. 🤗
Most welcome, my pleasure!
Aww, a lovely and sweet poem. So grounded in reality.
Yes. Grounded. Thanks, Sadje. Xo
You’re welcome
A lovely poem and interesting Burne Jones sketch – thank you for sharing 🙏😊
Bless you for reading, Ingrid. This is my first time hearing about this artist. Captivating. Glad you enjoyed. Xoxo
Some of his paintings feature in the gallery of my hometown, but I’ve never seen sketches like this!
It’s a good day when I can present you with something like this. Makes my day fuller. Blessings. Xo
Love this Selma. I can relate to times I’ve done this, making sure to hold on to my scarf else it may be blown away.
The caricature gives me a sense of freedom and adventure.
I really enjoyed the sketch. It’s a summer thing, I guess. I don’t want to try that in this cold season. Wink. Thanks for comment to this one, dear friend. Stay sweet.
Definitely not recommended for winter hehe. 🌷
Beautiful poem, the scarf is like a friend.
I like it how she brazenly walks up to Wind and lets it consume her. Thanks, Heather. Blessings.
Anonymous is Selma. 🙇🏽♀️
🙂
Stunning imagery, Selma. It snuggles – soon becomes me, blew me away!
Happy new year my friend. Xo
What a lovely poem, Selma! xo
Thanks, dearly, Lauren. Glad you liked it. 🙇🏽♀️ Sending blessings.
You’re welcome, Selma, and Happy New Year! 🌷
Happy New Year to you and your lovely family, Lauren. Xo 🤗
Enchanting. I can imagine the freedom this woman feels and the shared intamacy she has with nature.
Being by the ocean I thought of the wool bathing costumes of the 1800’s…. And then of a book I had read about three sisters who lived in an old house along the coast… whose visiting neice was ‘surprised’ when they went ‘skinny dipping’ in the privacy of their secluded cove. The weight of the times, the courage of women, and the embrace of the North Wind. 😀
I think we need some ‘winter’ down time to appriciate when spring does arrive. The ‘radio’ folks keep counting down to when spring will arrive – just about 60 plus days here. Our grass is still green. Only one slight snow… lots of rain. Good days to stay in… though it is almost 50 at 9am… I might even take a walk outside after breakfast – I haven’t done that in awhile – since I was sick for abit. Hopefully mending now. 🙂
Excellent, Selma! I learned something new and enjoyed your poem!