Father’s Self-portrait with the Family

Mother put my hair in a plait,
dressed me in my best blue skirt
and red sailor blouse.
Father set a timer
and photographed the pose.

I knew it would be boring
and, deliberately turning,
rummaged for stories in a chest,
while mother froze, her blue dress
blending into the mise en scene.

She smiled faintly at the lens
and then looked away,
as did Father in his smart grey
suit, and purple tie, black
pomaded hair combed back.

But with his blue shirt partly
hidden beneath a ladder,
my brother, a modern boy,
stared at the camera, eager
to examine a new mechanical toy.

Mother was ready to escape and read her book.
Father’s hat waited patiently on its hook.

Kim M. Russell, 25th July 2023

‘Self-portrait with the Family’ by Pyotr Konchalovsky (1917)

Grace is our host for this Tuesday’s Poetics at the dVerse Poets Pub, with an ekphrastic prompt.

She has provided images of three artworks: Eugene Delacroix’s ‘Women of Algiers in their Apartment’; María Berrío’s ‘Closed Geometry’; and ’Self-portrait with the Family’ by P. Konchalovsky; as well as a definition of ekphrastic poetry, and examples of ekphrastic poems by Edward Hirsch, and Anne Sexton.

The challenge is to choose one of the three images and write an ekphrastic poem including details (colours, shapes, characters) that strike us and evoke an emotional and/or intellectual response. Our poems should indicate which art work we have chosen, however the poetry form is open.

I chose ’Self-portrait with the Family’ by P. Konchalovsky, which I believe might have been initially painted from a photograph.

42 thoughts on “Father’s Self-portrait with the Family”

  1. You capture the essence of the painting and pour it into words exquisitely, Kim! Wow! I smiled at “Mother was ready to escape and read her book.” ❤️❤️❤️

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  2. You captured the family dynamics of this self portrait with the family. Each one pursuing their own interest. Love your perspective of the girl with red sailor blouse.
    Also seeing the brother, the modern boy, eager to examine a new mechanical toy. Love this one Kim.

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  8. I love how you wrote this from the daughter’s perspective describing everyone in the scene. So well done. The final couplet describes more how I saw the scene. The parents do not seem too happy.

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    1. Thank you Merril. I’m often drawn to what is happening in the periphery of an image – there has to be a reason for the girl turning her back on the artist. I’m convinced a photo was taken first.

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      1. You’re welcome, Kim.
        That’s interesting about the idea of the photo first, and the little girl got bored with standing still?
        I was intrigued by the painting on the wall in the background.

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  12. Mother was ready to escape and read her book.
    Father’s hat waited patiently on its hook.

    Somewhat true in the moments of waiting to be snapped. Every minds seemed to be absorbed with what of the next move when it is all over. Good move Kim!

    Hank

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