Not the Most Romantic of Animals

[strange_aeons]

This is the full text of an email sent to me by Keeps.

So I'm looking through a book on sixteenth century Persian masterpieces, and come across a painting that seems to have a bit of a perspective problem. I show it to a classmate, tell her something seems wrong, and she asks, "Is it the man humping the camel?"

Yes, that would be it. The fact that he doesn't seem to be wearing any pants furthers the perspective problem. It's only then that I notice the title of the piece: A Depraved Man Commits Bestiality and is Berated by Satan.

This brings about some confusion of its own from the rest of the class, until I read the analysis which explains Satan, hiding in the rocks and glaring at the man having sex with the camel, is complaining because he'll get blamed before the man is, and it'll ruin his reputation.

Satan, man, camel, camel's small child casually grazing, camel's mate glaring at man, and some guy apparently enjoying the show, all take up the bottom left corner of the picture. The rest is filled by a random family of gypsies. No explanation is given for them; the blurb just rambles about juxtaposition and normal family life while the man's boinking a very unimpressed camel. That has wooden struts tied to its ankles so the man can stand up high enough. A lot of thought was put into this painting.

This has become a rather common conversation element. And as we come in from lunch today, just as we get through the doors, it gets blurted out "But that's nothing compared to the painting of the guy having sex with a camel," and thus the conversation continues, as a totally silent group of high school students there for college orientation turns to watch us all the way to the elevators. They may have had their parents there, too. Anything I can do to help the youth of America.