The Smiling Spider, 1891, Odilon Redon.
Dear Miss Muffet,
I lead an utterly charmed life- I step out the door, only to have the birds sing out their message, just for me! I turn up my stereo too loud, and the people sing along! I bumble along at work, and a friend treats me to lunch! I read my email, and there is this wonder of the world!
Spiders, kiss your homes goodbye, I am coming to take your webs for substrates. This elaboration of our current symbiosis (you make the webs, I let the flies in the door) hampered by my occasional disturbance of your homes could be a beautiful thing. Instead of just casually and heartlessly dusting and vacuuming your webs away, I could tenderly lift, layer, and mount them.
I imagine my spider web painting will be a very simple color study, with a several small, infinitesimal, even, spiders on it. In soft blue and lilac, with a warm charcoal grey of complexity for the arachnids. I hope the tiny weavers will be pleased by it.
