Paddington, Scout and the Window Licker
SCOUT: *Scrutinises the picture ‘The Window of a Fashion Boutique’ by Eugène Louis Gillot and crinkles muzzle in disgust. “Yucky!”
PADDY: “Scout! That’s no way to describe that painting, even if you don’t like it!”
SCOUT: “That wasn’t what I think is yucky, Paddy. I actually quite like the painting, although I do think I could paint one better.” *Nods enthusiastically.* “No, was going ‘yucky’ about dirty windows, Paddy. They must have been in desperate need for window washers in Paris back in the olden days when this painting was done, Paddy.”
PADDY: “What on earth do you mean, Scout?” *Alarmed.*
SCOUT: “Well, the lady in this painting must really, really like that dress in the window, because she is licking the glass! Yuck!” *Sticks out cute little pink bear tongue.* “In the olden days there were things like soot and grime, and that would make the window taste yucky!” *Disgusted.*
PADDY: *Looks at painting in alarm.* “But Scout, that lady is just admiring the beautiful blue dress in the Parisan fashion boutique. She isn’t licking the window!”
SCOUT: “Yes she is, Paddy!”
PADDY: “No she isn’t, Scout!”
SCOUT: “Yes she is, Paddy!”
PADDY: *Scrutinises picture.* “No, she really isn’t, Scout. I can’t see her tongue sticking out.”
SCOUT: “Well of course you can’t, Paddy! This is an Imp… Impression….”
PADDY: “Impressionist, Scout?”
SCOUT: “This painting is roughly painted, so you can’t really see all the details, but she licking the window nonetheless. Trust me, I know!” *Nods vehemently.*
PADDY: “That’s a ridiculous assumption, Scout. How can you know she is licking the window if you can’t even see her tongue?”
SCOUT: “Because it says so, right there!” *Points to explanatory plaque next to the painting with paw.* “See, it says she is window licking! Yuck!” *Sticks out cute little pink bear tongue again.*
PADDY *Silently reads plaque and the chuckles.*
SCOUT: “Paddy! That isn’t very polite, to laugh at the nice lady because she is licking the window!”
PADDY: “Oh Scout, she isn’t licking the window at all, she is window shopping.”
SCOUT: “Then why does it say on the sign that she is licking the window, if she isn’t? Did the person who wrote it write a fib?” *Gasps.* “Telling fibs is naughty, so I’m sure writing fibs is too!”
PADDY: “Well Scout, this is what is known as an interpretive panel, to give explanation about who the painting is by and what it represents, so no, the person who wrote it isn’t telling a fib, but they are demonstrating how language when translated literally can sometimes come out as meaning something very different.”
SCOUT: “What do you mean, Paddy?” *Scratches head with paw.* “I don’t understand. Is she a window licker or not?”
PADDY: “Well, the panel says that this lady is window shopping, but in French, window shopping is called ‘lèche vitrine’ which translates to English literally as ‘window licking’. French can be a funny language sometimes.”
SCOUT: “Yes, my very special bear friend Spencer (FinouCat) says that, because he speaks English and French. Oh well, that’s a relief!” *Sighs.* “The lady isn’t a window licker after all!”
PADDY: “No she isn’t Scout.”
SCOUT: “Then I only have one question left, Paddy.”
PADDY: “And what is that, Scout?”
SCOUT: “Well, if this painting was done in Paris in the olden days, how come he painted it in colour? Wasn’t the world black and white there too, or was that only in England where you and Daddy lived, Paddy?”
PADDY: “Scout, I keep telling… Oh! Oh, never mind, Scout.” *Shakes head.* “Yes, Paris was known as the city of light, so of course it was colourful too.”
DADDY: “Oh Paddy and Scout, may I take your picture in front of this lovely painting?”
PADDY and SCOUT: “Yes Daddy!”
DADDY: “Alright, when I count to three, say ‘grumbly tummies’.”
PADDY and SCOUT: “Yes Daddy!”
DADDY: “One… two… three…”
PADDY: “Grumbly tummies!”
SCOUT: “Window lickers!”
*Camera goes click and whirr.*
DADDY: “Window lickers, Scout?” *Alarmed.*
PADDY: “It’s… it’s a long story, Daddy.”
This weekend just gone, Paddy, Scout and I went to the Bendigo Art Gallery to view the ‘Paris: Impressions of Life 1880 – 1925’ exhibition. Exclusive to Bendigo Art Gallery, the ‘Paris: Impressions of Life 1880–1925’ exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the lively and picturesque streets of historic Paris. Tour seven themed pathways and discover artisan street signs, historic couture, decorative arts, and everyday ephemera alongside paintings by artists including Jean Béraud, the pre-eminent painter of Parisian life in the Belle Époque, Maurice Utrillo and Paul Signac, pioneer of the artistic technique of pointillism, as well as vibrant graphic prints by Toulouse-Lautrec and his contemporaries.
This painting ‘The Window of a Fashion Boutique’ by Eugène Louis Gillot (1867 – 1925) was painted around 1910. The painting depicts an elegant Parisian woman standing in front of a fashion boutique window, admiring a kingfisher blue ensemble of jacket and skirt. She is indeed window shopping, which in French is ‘lèche vitrine’ which translates to English literally as ‘window licking’.
My Paddington Bear came to live with me in London when I was two years old (many, many years ago). He was hand made by my Great Aunt and he has a chocolate coloured felt hat, the brim of which had to be pinned up by a safety pin to stop it getting in his eyes. The collar of his mackintosh is made of the same felt. He wears wellington boots made from the same red leather used to make the toggles on his mackintosh.
He has travelled with me across the world and he and I have had many adventures together over the years. He is a very precious member of my small family.
Scout was a gift to Paddy from my friend. He is a Fair Trade Bear hand knitted in Africa. His name comes from the shop my friend found him in: Scout House. He tells me that life was very different where he came from, and Paddy is helping introduce him to many new experiences. Scout catches on quickly, and has proven to be a cheeky, but very lovable member of our closely knit family.
Paddington, Scout and the Window Licker
SCOUT: *Scrutinises the picture ‘The Window of a Fashion Boutique’ by Eugène Louis Gillot and crinkles muzzle in disgust. “Yucky!”
PADDY: “Scout! That’s no way to describe that painting, even if you don’t like it!”
SCOUT: “That wasn’t what I think is yucky, Paddy. I actually quite like the painting, although I do think I could paint one better.” *Nods enthusiastically.* “No, was going ‘yucky’ about dirty windows, Paddy. They must have been in desperate need for window washers in Paris back in the olden days when this painting was done, Paddy.”
PADDY: “What on earth do you mean, Scout?” *Alarmed.*
SCOUT: “Well, the lady in this painting must really, really like that dress in the window, because she is licking the glass! Yuck!” *Sticks out cute little pink bear tongue.* “In the olden days there were things like soot and grime, and that would make the window taste yucky!” *Disgusted.*
PADDY: *Looks at painting in alarm.* “But Scout, that lady is just admiring the beautiful blue dress in the Parisan fashion boutique. She isn’t licking the window!”
SCOUT: “Yes she is, Paddy!”
PADDY: “No she isn’t, Scout!”
SCOUT: “Yes she is, Paddy!”
PADDY: *Scrutinises picture.* “No, she really isn’t, Scout. I can’t see her tongue sticking out.”
SCOUT: “Well of course you can’t, Paddy! This is an Imp… Impression….”
PADDY: “Impressionist, Scout?”
SCOUT: “This painting is roughly painted, so you can’t really see all the details, but she licking the window nonetheless. Trust me, I know!” *Nods vehemently.*
PADDY: “That’s a ridiculous assumption, Scout. How can you know she is licking the window if you can’t even see her tongue?”
SCOUT: “Because it says so, right there!” *Points to explanatory plaque next to the painting with paw.* “See, it says she is window licking! Yuck!” *Sticks out cute little pink bear tongue again.*
PADDY *Silently reads plaque and the chuckles.*
SCOUT: “Paddy! That isn’t very polite, to laugh at the nice lady because she is licking the window!”
PADDY: “Oh Scout, she isn’t licking the window at all, she is window shopping.”
SCOUT: “Then why does it say on the sign that she is licking the window, if she isn’t? Did the person who wrote it write a fib?” *Gasps.* “Telling fibs is naughty, so I’m sure writing fibs is too!”
PADDY: “Well Scout, this is what is known as an interpretive panel, to give explanation about who the painting is by and what it represents, so no, the person who wrote it isn’t telling a fib, but they are demonstrating how language when translated literally can sometimes come out as meaning something very different.”
SCOUT: “What do you mean, Paddy?” *Scratches head with paw.* “I don’t understand. Is she a window licker or not?”
PADDY: “Well, the panel says that this lady is window shopping, but in French, window shopping is called ‘lèche vitrine’ which translates to English literally as ‘window licking’. French can be a funny language sometimes.”
SCOUT: “Yes, my very special bear friend Spencer (FinouCat) says that, because he speaks English and French. Oh well, that’s a relief!” *Sighs.* “The lady isn’t a window licker after all!”
PADDY: “No she isn’t Scout.”
SCOUT: “Then I only have one question left, Paddy.”
PADDY: “And what is that, Scout?”
SCOUT: “Well, if this painting was done in Paris in the olden days, how come he painted it in colour? Wasn’t the world black and white there too, or was that only in England where you and Daddy lived, Paddy?”
PADDY: “Scout, I keep telling… Oh! Oh, never mind, Scout.” *Shakes head.* “Yes, Paris was known as the city of light, so of course it was colourful too.”
DADDY: “Oh Paddy and Scout, may I take your picture in front of this lovely painting?”
PADDY and SCOUT: “Yes Daddy!”
DADDY: “Alright, when I count to three, say ‘grumbly tummies’.”
PADDY and SCOUT: “Yes Daddy!”
DADDY: “One… two… three…”
PADDY: “Grumbly tummies!”
SCOUT: “Window lickers!”
*Camera goes click and whirr.*
DADDY: “Window lickers, Scout?” *Alarmed.*
PADDY: “It’s… it’s a long story, Daddy.”
This weekend just gone, Paddy, Scout and I went to the Bendigo Art Gallery to view the ‘Paris: Impressions of Life 1880 – 1925’ exhibition. Exclusive to Bendigo Art Gallery, the ‘Paris: Impressions of Life 1880–1925’ exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the lively and picturesque streets of historic Paris. Tour seven themed pathways and discover artisan street signs, historic couture, decorative arts, and everyday ephemera alongside paintings by artists including Jean Béraud, the pre-eminent painter of Parisian life in the Belle Époque, Maurice Utrillo and Paul Signac, pioneer of the artistic technique of pointillism, as well as vibrant graphic prints by Toulouse-Lautrec and his contemporaries.
This painting ‘The Window of a Fashion Boutique’ by Eugène Louis Gillot (1867 – 1925) was painted around 1910. The painting depicts an elegant Parisian woman standing in front of a fashion boutique window, admiring a kingfisher blue ensemble of jacket and skirt. She is indeed window shopping, which in French is ‘lèche vitrine’ which translates to English literally as ‘window licking’.
My Paddington Bear came to live with me in London when I was two years old (many, many years ago). He was hand made by my Great Aunt and he has a chocolate coloured felt hat, the brim of which had to be pinned up by a safety pin to stop it getting in his eyes. The collar of his mackintosh is made of the same felt. He wears wellington boots made from the same red leather used to make the toggles on his mackintosh.
He has travelled with me across the world and he and I have had many adventures together over the years. He is a very precious member of my small family.
Scout was a gift to Paddy from my friend. He is a Fair Trade Bear hand knitted in Africa. His name comes from the shop my friend found him in: Scout House. He tells me that life was very different where he came from, and Paddy is helping introduce him to many new experiences. Scout catches on quickly, and has proven to be a cheeky, but very lovable member of our closely knit family.