Hello friends, back from the casket it’s your old pal Deaddie here and I want to talk about something extremely boring: assets. Not the good kind that our lovely Dr. carries around in her trunk, but the things that pop up in countless scenes, giving us a sense of place and bring the story to life.

I’m talking about the rooms where stories take place and all the little details I’m being reminded that matter. So that gave me the idea to share with you a bit of psychological behind the scenes information about what’s going on in Dr. Maxine Moore’s client office.

She’s furnished it with red Persian rugs that pair nicely with mossy green curtains. A big cerulean blue stuffed chair for the doctor and another darker mossy green loveseat for clients. These all make Dr. Max feel luxurious and cozy, but there’s a more intentional bit of interior design at play: those enormouse paintings behind each seat.

First we have Bacchanal With A Lute Player by Nicolas Poussin, sitting behind Max’s seat. The Bacchanalia were privately funded Roman festivals in celebration of the god Bacchus, also known in Greek as Dionysus. The Greek celebrated Dionysus as the god of wine making, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theater. The Roman interpretation of Bacchus’ celebrations became subversive festivals in which social classes and genders could transgress traditional social and moral constraints.

Max has put this in view of her clients believing that to embrace one’s desires is a necessity that transcends society.

Behind Max’s client’s there is a far different painting. A reproduction of a Piet Mondrian piece. The funny thing is that Max doesn’t like Mondrian at all. She’s more a fan of the Hudson River Valley school of painting. But the Mondrian, by virtue of its inability to interest Max, helps her to keep her focus on her client. A bit of self-imposed reverse psychology.

Now our client, Mr. Craig Liszt, he’s got some ideas about the art world and one day you might find him and Dr. Max having a discussion about these wall hangings. You’ll be way ahead of the curve, so I thank you for subscribing  and will talk to you again on Thursday.

Be good to yourself

Deaddie