Et in Arcadia Ego...

I have never seen this Von Gloeden's photograph before...

As far as I know, it was never published in any modern book devoted to von Gloeden...

This photograph was used as a postcard around 1910.

Yes, around 1910, it was possible to send such a postcard through European posts networks...

Would it be possible today ?

I guess not...

This is for me like a quintessence of von Gloeden's visual, artistic, imaginary, sensitive universe...

It is an Arcadian dream... Boys singing and dancing, celebrating a Greek god... Apollo ? Or Dionysius ? I guess Dionysius...

There is such a lovely mood in this scene...

This scene takes place in the wilderness, above Taormina's village... Nobody else than von Gloeden was looking at these naked boys dancing together, or listening to the music of the young flute player...

Most of these boys were young peasants, shepherds, fisher men, perhaps some of them were repairing cars in a garage...

I wonder how von Gloeden was able to deal with their laughs, with their jokes, with their unruly behaviour...

Or perhaps these boys were totally focussed on the scene they were supposed to play...

"Listen to me, ragazzi... You are now the kaloi paides, the kala meirakia, the formosi pueri of Callimachus, Theocritus and Vergil...  Apollo and Dionysius are watching you ! Eros is watching you too ! So, no bad jokes, play it nice, please ! Sing and dance, and freeze when I make a photoshot ! Grazie mille, ragazzi !"

This great postcard is now part of my personal collection....

By the way, should I relaunch "Rêves Siciliens" blog ?

It seems I did...