A Moving Picture

I went to NYC yesterday and, although I fried in the heat, I came back with more than a few ideas.
A friend of mine said to avoid the studio for a few days after I spoke of my work all starting to look alike. I will try and follow his advice, but I am an addict, you know. I can never seem to stop working.
After I saw Bob, I went up to the Metropolitan to try and get lost in reflection in the Medieval section. This did not work-maybe I was too "winded" from the long walk (from 34th street), but I think that it was more about the heat:I don't do well in hot weather. By the time I regained some sense of focus, it was time to make the journey downtown for another appointment. But not before I found three Velazquez paintings-Count Duke Olivares on Horseback, an unknown (and not so great) painting of Christ with two others and an absolute favorite of mine, Juan de Pareja-for me, comparable to some of the stronger Memling portraits.
Later, at a group show opening (a friend of mine had a great little painting there), I saw this portrait of a seated female nude-but the image was moving-the idea of a tableau vivant, but not really in that the subject was making conscious movement, however slight. The whole effect was unnerving and made for an interesting visual coincidence, after making my quick tour through the European painting to get to the Velazquez. The gallery owner (the artist was not there) said that the piece was based on a classic painting (unknown to me, but I'll be looking for a few possibilities out of personal curiosity) .