That is Priceless by Steve Melcher for January 30, 2024

The Smothers Brothers’ great-grandfather, Joseph Régnier, got into trouble with the French authorities by doing comedy routines about the Franco-Prussian war.

Joseph Régnier, giving the artist his best flirting eyes.

/// Régnier’s eyes seem suspicious at best;

sly and scheming; by evil possessed.

Yet his smile shows some zest—

primed to utter a jest.

His expressions have not coalesced.

They used to call him “Mutton Chops”.

((“I just farted.”))

Theo liked to prank those he painted, by telling knock knock jokes, and capturing their expressions.

Named “Most Likely to Meet Mephistopheles” in his high school year book.

Tommy Smothers doing his best Boris Karloff imitation.

FJP Regnier was really a fun sort of guy

You can tell by that twinkle in his eye

As comedian he was early honored.

Although by stage fright he was bothered

He learned to laugh fear off by and by.

.

François-Joseph-Philoclès Regnier de La Brière

His name shortened to “Regnier” on posters everywhere

Played most of the provinces all over France

Classy plays — no silly seltzer down the pants!

At the Comédie-Française … a societare.

“Hey Priceless fans, let’s have a staring contest. First one who blinks loses.”

O what a knowing look. What do you think he knows?

I’m from the government and I’m here to help you

Please ignore the urine smell

I know what the “F” stands for, but what’s J & P?

We do not allow fish in the microwave at the clinic. For obvious reasons.

with burnt popcorn – Yum!

Thats my name. And don’t you forget it.

This painting is in the Louvre, right across from and facing the Mona Lisa. Oh, those two crazy kids!!!

Made Up Fact: Baseball Cards actually got their idea from the French Famous Author Cards of the early 1800s.

He’s an elderly diplomat/

And he knows where the power is at/

When the mob’s in the streets/

He discreetly retreats;/

The man has more lives than a cat…

F.J.P. should have had his jacket cleaned before sitting for his portrait.

“Sorry. When you spend twenty years being hit in the face with sea spray, your face just kind of does this automatically.”

’Tis a good detailed portrait.

“I know who you are, and I saw what you did!”

Portrait of François-Joseph-Philoclès Régnier (1807-1885), sociétaire of the Comédie-Française: 

Paste (including the quote marks) 

"Category:Paintings by Théobald Chartran" Wikimedia 

(syntax supported by the Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, Ecosia and Yandex search engines) in the browser address bar (or search for it using one of those search engines) and choose the first Category: found and once there find the text string P1098, and click its link for info and links that point to more info (perhaps best viewed using the Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browsers, which can automatically translate most webpages if necessary) about this roughly B4 paper size painting, along with my just added Description. 

Again, a larger strip image is shown by (Ctrl- or right-) clicking the image in Mr. Melcher’s MASTERPIECE #3261 (January 30, 2024) blog entry, accessible by the Check out the blog! box after the last comment, and using the dropdown menu (even larger, if you trim what’s after .png from the URL). I have added a comment there pointing to info about this artist I used to point to here. So far, 2 works by him have been used here, the May 14, 2019, strip being the prior.

1835

His face is perfectly clean, why’s he wearing that filthy old coat?

He: I should have let the hair cover my chinny chin chin…………

Without the mutton chops, he bears a startling resemblance to Buzz Aldrin

That’s a pretty mild reaction to such an abomination

WHAT! pay that ho 83 mil for a touch.

The wearing of mutton chops/

was an affectation of fops/

For whom a full beard/

Was a thing to be sheared:/

They were welcome in barber shops…

Don’t forget the burning popcorn.

I would say that the painting isn’t liking some of the comments today; and he’s biting his tongue to keep quiet.

For tomorrow:

“Now that the kid is five, I guess we might as well get married.”