Musée de la batellerie et des voies navigables

A poem called the ‘Vert-Vert’

2 May 2018

© Photo Mathieu FERRIER – Agence Photo F

This painting was inspired by a poem called the ‘Vert-Vert’  written by Jean-Baptiste-Louis Gresset. The painting dates back to the 18th century and shows a passenger boat with a humoristic story behind it. A parrot, with a very refined language, was claimed by monks from a monastery in Nantes and had to travel by boat on the River Loire to get there. But on the boat, different deckhands and women of bad reputation taught him words from their vocabulary. When it arrived at its destination, the parrot swore like a real bargee!

Non classé
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