![[Picture: Christmas Still Life]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/ModerneKunst-15/pages/077-top-hat-waiter-game-bird-feast/077-top-hat-waiter-game-bird-feast-q75-420x500.jpg "[Picture: Christmas Still Life]")
Download
Buy print-size file for commercial or other use
About
Christmas Still Life more
christmas, xmas, colour, feasts, people, waiters, men, top hats, poems, poetry, thanksgiving
This site is in danger of going away; please consider the Donate link above...
Buy print-size file for commercial or other use
Christmas Still Life more
christmas, xmas, colour, feasts, people, waiters, men, top hats, poems, poetry, thanksgiving
A man wearing a brown suit jacket, red waistcoat, white cravat and top hat has a smile has a carried a platter of Christmas food over one shoulder and a wicker basked containing four bottles of wine. He has a Christmas card tucked into his waistcoat.
The picture is captioned Weihnachts-Stillleben, which is, Christmas Still-life, and is marked as being after a watercolour by E. Cucuel.
I have identified E. Cucel with Edward Cucel, who died in 1954, which means this item is not for commercial use before January 2025.
There is a poem under the man’s white-gloved left hand, reproduced here first as per Google Translate and then in the original German. It is by Wolfgang Kirchbach (?1790 – 1857).
Nicholas, Santa Claus,
also arrives in livery,
he doesn’t bring apples or nuts,
but with spiritual weight
and in an immaculate waistcoat
he gives the very best.
He who awakens the spirits,
Greetings, beloved champagne!
He who is kind to the heart,
Welcome, oh pheasant!
Game pie, curved-claw
lobster, revered with content!
Grapes, pineapples, how good
this picture is for the soul!
Yes, the food basket, finely selected
is the ideal of existence.
For eating with understanding
also means: measuring the content!
Wolfgang Kirchbach.
And in German:
Nikolas, der weihnachtsmann,
Kommt auch in Livreen an,
Aepfel, Nüsse bringt er nicht,
Doch mit geistigem Gewicht
Und in tadelloser Weste
Spendet er das Allerbeste.
Der die Lebensgeister wekt,
Sei gegrüsst, geliebter Sekt!
Der’s dem Herzen angethan,
Sei willkommen, o Fasan!
Wildpastete, scherenkrummer
Inhaltsvoll verehrter Hummer!
Trauben, Ananas, wie gut
Dieses Bild der Seele thut!
Ja, der Fresskorb, fein in Wahl
Ist des Daseins Ideal.
Denn verständnisreiches Essen
Heisst auch: den Gehalt ermessen!
Wolfgang Kirchbach.
Get unwatermarked version
Buy print-size file for commercial or other use
