collection of Peter Stone

Pere Lachaise

(Graphite and soft-lead pencil on Bristol board) 

This piece delights me.

It is named for the famed cemetery in Paris,

resting place of the famous and infamous alike.

I have learned that it is an old French tradition,

whose carry over is evident in New Orleans,

for prostitutes to use the cemeteries at night to ply their trade.

“Night life in the City of the Dead”.

On a visit to Pere Lachaise some years ago, at about 4:00pm,

I stumbled upon a section of the cemetery

which had been used in this manner for years.

In the distance, among the mausoleums,

I spied a young man, pantless,

either waiting for a customer

or himself a customer waiting for service.

This tickled me no end.

In this piece I have moved the figure to an earlier century, circa 1780.

The pose of this figure is just as I remember it. The time, 4:00 pm.

It tickles me still.