The Gross Clinic by Thomas Eakins
About ten years ago I had one of the drunkest, most funnest days of my life. Artie Lang and I went to the Army/Navy Football football game and got box seats that he squandered from someone. We drank beer from early in the morning (actually it was probably bloody mary's at first) and kept a wonderful pace of alcohol, food and yelling throughout the day.
We sang songs he learned in the Navy and I cheered everytime the cannons were fired in celebration of a touchdown.
Artie: "Navy just scored!!!!"
Crowd Cheers
Artillery Cannons placed in the endzones thunder off shots.
SB: "GO BOOM!!!!"
I was so delighted by the cannon fire! What a happy and simple drunk I am.
The ball was brought into Veterans Stadium by parachuters, and various killing machines streaked overhead to the crowds delight. It was awesome. Bill Clinton was at the game. Bill knows were the fun is.
That was an afternoon game, which we followed up by drinking more and (as he recalls) diner at some restaurant (which I dont) in which various fight songs were once again sung against Army supporters.
We drank some more and then went to a UPENN basketball game in which we were even more obnoxious and I'm sure I regretted not having any cannons with me to celbrate each basket. I do remember storming the court after the win. I dont follow college basketball, but why not get involved when you can?
Sometime after midnight we convinced a Security Guard to let us into an office building owned by Thomas Jefferson University so that I could see this painting. I wish I could remember what the hell he said to them to let two very drunk, very cold twenty somethings into a room so that they could see the most valuable (and in my mind) most important painting in all of Philadelphia.
We had studied the painting in art history, so i was very familiar with it but had never seen it in person. The guard led us into a dark room, and I felt struck when the lights came on and I saw that the tiny picture in my Art History book was over Eight Feet tall!
The 8-by-7-foot painting shows a doctor and his students performing surgery on a boy's leg, while his mother covers her face with her hands. It's a realistic, dark and illustrious painting style that appeals to me. At the time it was painted it was very different from everything else being painted, in style and subject matter. It was painted here in Philadelphia and has been here since 1878.
Thomas Jefferson just surprised the city by announcing it had just sold the painting to one of the Walmart heirs for $68 million and the city will have to match the offer by December or it will leave. The painting will make a stop at the National Gallery for abit (which is arguably where it should be anyway) and then will reside in Arkansas.
Arkansas?
That sucks.
boom
We sang songs he learned in the Navy and I cheered everytime the cannons were fired in celebration of a touchdown.
Artie: "Navy just scored!!!!"
Crowd Cheers
Artillery Cannons placed in the endzones thunder off shots.
SB: "GO BOOM!!!!"
I was so delighted by the cannon fire! What a happy and simple drunk I am.
The ball was brought into Veterans Stadium by parachuters, and various killing machines streaked overhead to the crowds delight. It was awesome. Bill Clinton was at the game. Bill knows were the fun is.
That was an afternoon game, which we followed up by drinking more and (as he recalls) diner at some restaurant (which I dont) in which various fight songs were once again sung against Army supporters.
We drank some more and then went to a UPENN basketball game in which we were even more obnoxious and I'm sure I regretted not having any cannons with me to celbrate each basket. I do remember storming the court after the win. I dont follow college basketball, but why not get involved when you can?
Sometime after midnight we convinced a Security Guard to let us into an office building owned by Thomas Jefferson University so that I could see this painting. I wish I could remember what the hell he said to them to let two very drunk, very cold twenty somethings into a room so that they could see the most valuable (and in my mind) most important painting in all of Philadelphia.
We had studied the painting in art history, so i was very familiar with it but had never seen it in person. The guard led us into a dark room, and I felt struck when the lights came on and I saw that the tiny picture in my Art History book was over Eight Feet tall!
The 8-by-7-foot painting shows a doctor and his students performing surgery on a boy's leg, while his mother covers her face with her hands. It's a realistic, dark and illustrious painting style that appeals to me. At the time it was painted it was very different from everything else being painted, in style and subject matter. It was painted here in Philadelphia and has been here since 1878.
Thomas Jefferson just surprised the city by announcing it had just sold the painting to one of the Walmart heirs for $68 million and the city will have to match the offer by December or it will leave. The painting will make a stop at the National Gallery for abit (which is arguably where it should be anyway) and then will reside in Arkansas.
Arkansas?
That sucks.
boom
4 comments:
Great story - sad ending. BTW, did Army ultimately win?
This should have been two posts! :)
dK
dK,
It is almost too posts, but it was such a fantastic day, i had to tell everything that happened right up to the end!
I have no idea who won the game, I dont even remember who won last year.
Tut,
I like your thinking!!!!
Artie Lange remebers the day fondly. In fact, it was probably the most fun Artie Lange has had with his pants on (Artie soiled himself). What Steakbellie fails to remember is his gurgitation prowess, even at that very tender(and supple) age of 25. The Penn game was significant because the great "Cheesesteak" Frankie Brown scored a three-pointer at the buzzer, which put the Quakers over 100 points, and gave everyone in the crowd the right to free cheese steaks at Abners. Not only did Artie lange and Steakbellie storm the court in a euphoric moment of bliss, but Artie Lange tried to make snow angels at midcourt as the band played the Red and Blue.
Army Navy is the most profound spectacle in all of sports and it is made that much better with the great Steakbellie in attendance.
btw, Army won an incredibly exciting game.
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