That is Priceless by Steve Melcher for August 23, 2022

For some reason, the Pelletier family refused to pay the artist for this painting.

When they said she was a child bride, no one dreamed that…

“You’re free now, shoo, go on, scram!”

/// In “The Family” by Henri Rousseau,

eight adults are lined up in a row.

A young child sits in front,

who appears, to be blunt,

like an imp from the demons below.

/// At first glance, this is some celebration,

but that’s open to interpretation.

Some are toasting with wine.

Did the others decline?

Their expressions deserve explanation.

/// Three men, under a creeping vine, stand.

Each one holds a full glass in his hand.

Are they happy? Who knows?

Each curled up mustache shows

how to fake “smiles” when faces are bland.

/// The four women have lips turning down.

Like the baby, each one seems to frown.

Two force one, dressed in gray

to advance the child’s way.

Toward the babe in the pristine white gown.

/// Something’s happening, and it’s not nice.

This strange family hides secret vice.

Will the gray woman beg

the man straddling the keg

that she not be this years’ sacrifice?

It’s supposed to be a family portrait, but she didn’t know which one is the father.

“I changed him last time. It’s your turn.”

They had Grampa over a barrel.

“Men in Black”, the French Connection…

I think the baby painted this.

No one is going near that demon baby until the baptism is over.

That is one ugly baby

This little “bundle of joy”/

Might be either girl or boy/

It’s visage, demonic/

(Or maybe moronic)/

Expresses a desire to destroy../

Evidently Rousseau “took sides against the family”.

The Adam’s family reunion

While the others stood aghast, the old man said, “I told you she wouldn’t slide all the way downhill, now pay up!”

Inbreeding, 3rd generation.

The Vinissimo Family stood all in a row

To pose for a painting by the famed Rousseau,

Dressed in their best, most stylish finery

To celebrate a new vintage from their winery

The men sipped the product and judged it neat:

Full-bodied, authoritative, and slightly sweet.

.

But the sitting was nearly ruined by the brawl

That arose among the three sisters-in-law

The grandam spoke sharply to quiet the scene,

“Babette, Renee, Camille — what does this mean?

This special day for our business is not passé

Your behavior, you three, is déclassé.”

.

“Oh, dear Grandam,” Babette cried piteously,

“Your son Gerard has behaved hideously

When he thought none of us saw to say nay

He filled my baby’s juice bottle with vin rose’!”

Grandam turned right around and slapped Gerard

And as her husband could attest, she could slap HARD!

.

Thus the Family painting was the very last

That they got together for familial repast.

The poor baby was quite soon weaned off vino

And Uncle Gerard became a notorious wino.

And that’s all that’s all to be said in atrocious rhyme

Until the urge to write more occurs next time.

“Yes, my baby left me, never said a word – was it something I done – something that she heard? My baby left me – yes she left me”-Elvis

They backed away from the big cat, figuring that if the kid couldn’t deal with it on its own, no big loss.

The Jack Daniel clan celebrating the rollout of their first single barrel bourbon. Momma Addie was too sloshed to stand on her own and couldn’t even dress herself for the event.

( With apologies to a fine product (hic) )

Groucho Marx, hey! With Harpo on the far left, and grandpa Marx about to tap the keg! Good times….

Rousseau makes Grandma Moses look like Rembrandt in comparison.

“Remember, leave the baby and take the cannoli !”

Everyone knew baby Agatha was a “biter”. It wasn’t until later they realized she was actually a zombie.

that doesn’t seem nearly far enough

Twenty minutes later, their neighbors collectively petitioned the local government to form the first Child Protection Services agency.

And the brat came back

The very next day

Oh, the brat came back

They thought it was a goner….

The Darling family’s French ancestors. "Les hommes is gettin’ tres excited, Sherriff. "

The Marx brothers decide to become a traveling barbershop quartet, with Harpo playing the banjo.

The family reeks of panache/

You recognize that in a flash/

But the child is the one/

Whom you might want to shun../

For the child has a “Hitler mustache”…

The judge decreed that whoever the baby crawled to would have to keep it. The possible fathers are all checking their racing hearts for signs of an attack while the undisputed mother is being restrained from fleeing by experienced prison matrons.

The Family: 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henri_Rousseau_-_The_Family_(La_Famille)_-_BF581_-_Barnes_Foundation.jpg 

has info and links that point to more info about this roughly jumbo envelope size painting.

Again, a larger strip image is shown by (Ctrl- or right-) clicking the image in Mr. Melcher’s MASTERPIECE #2982 (August 23, 2022) blog entry, accessible by the Check out the blog! box after the last comment, and using the dropdown menu (even larger if you trim what’s after .png from the URL). I have added a comment there pointing to the info about this artist I used to point to here. First work by this artist used here.

The guy sitting on the keg looks like he’s holding a gun. Did he “accidentally” shoot the woman who’s fallen?

Addams family prequel promo picture…

the horror baby from hell was left on the door-spep,they are wondering how to get rid of it without it getting mad and killing them all.

Alice got the buzz cut because of someone spotting a lice.

as she shook hands with the new owner the soon to be former mother let out a sigh of relief…

They needed a ninth to play baseball; and they really didn’t care who.

That’s it for tonight. No more faux pas on my part. . .