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| Lucas Franchoys the younger Study of a young man wearing a hat ca. 1650 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Jean de Saint-Igny Bust of a young man before 1647 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Jakob Matthias Schmutzer Head of a young man looking right 1774 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Paul Anton Skerl Portrait of a young man in profile 1808 lithograph Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
from An Essay on Man
Then say not man's imperfect, Heav'n in fault;
Say rather, man's as perfect as he ought:
His knowledge measur'd to his state and place,
His time a moment, and a point his space.
If to be perfect in a certain sphere,
What matter, soon or late, or here or there?
The blest today is as completely so,
As who began a thousand years ago.
– Alexander Pope (1734)
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| Joseph Chinard Bust of a man ca. 1790-95 terracotta Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| C. Lacroix Bust of an unknown man ca. 1695-1700 ivory Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Anonymous sculptor working in Russia Bust of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov before 1704 red pine Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory Young man ca. 1765-70 porcelain Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
from Bloodline
Ovid writes that Apollo loved the boy,
loved him more than any living thing
on this earth. But we know better.
The gods love only themselves. In the field,
a clearing ringed by trees, the boy did not
try to catch the discus. He was running from it,
running from the god who took pains to aim
so as to slice him clean through with a single shot.
You see, this is not love. A god commanding
spilled blood become delicate blue flowers is not love.
– C. Dale Young, from The Halo (Four Way Books, 2016)
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| Ancient Rome Male figure (probably from a statuary group honoring members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty) 27 BC - AD 68 marble Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Ancient Rome Male figure (probably from a statuary group honoring members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty) 27 BC - AD 68 marble Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Mariano Fortuny Young man standing, dressed in rags (Un Pouilleux) ca. 1860-70 etching Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| John Singer Sargent Study of a young man in a cloak, standing (Sargent's valet and model, Nicola d'Inverno) 1895 lithograph Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| John Singer Sargent Study of a young man in a robe, standing (Sargent's valet and model, Nicola d'Inverno) 1895 lithograph Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Ancient Rome Bust of a man ca. 50 BC - AD 54 bronze Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
from Dreamer
This is that point many people would
call a black moment, an unfortunate
color on things. I will not do that. For
black is a contrary at funerals and our
hero has just died a little as we
all tend to from time to time. And even
though that is true I will not do
that either. I will not talk of the great
white moment of death, I will not talk
of the great blue and purple moments
in the prosperity of pain. I will not
talk of the great red or scarlet moments
of quarrels and loss of friends, or
the crimson pleasure of the unexpected,
the mental tints of yellow and orange
that show you should always expect
change, or the feeling of knowing green
because you have been on a long journey.
All the colors are conjurers when our
mysteries are being solved. . . .
– Primus St. John, from Communion (Copper Canyon Press, 1999)