1913
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
German, 1880–1938
The St. Louis Art Museum
from Passionate Journey by Frans Masereel
To describe what these two New Year’s comrades performed and set about down in the village in the course of this night — which public houses they visited, how many glasses they emptied, in what sorts of conversations they engaged one another — would be to consign things that are important and essential to the realm of the unimportant and insignificant. They spoke of such things as colleagues are wont to speak of, and they behaved the way people tend to on New Year’s Eve, in other words, they devoted themselves to the pursuit of a gradual but all the more pleasurable and purposeful inebriation.
— Robert Walser
And as I grew in years, still didst thou blend
With all my ardours: thou wast the deep glen;
Thou wast the mountain-top — the sage’s pen —
The poet’s harp — the voice of friends — the sun;
Thou wast the river — thou wast glory won;
Thou wast my clarion’s blast — thou wast my steed —
My goblet full of wine — my topmost deed: —
Thou wast the charm of women, lovely Moon!
— John Keats
American, France, 1936
Gelatin silver print
The J. Paul Getty Museum
Happy New Year from Man Ray and Me
Jean Bourdichon
French, Tours, 1498 – 1499
Tempera colors and gold on parchment
The J. Paul Getty Museum
Who, that thou canst not be for ever here,
Or lift me with thee to some starry sphere?
Enchantress! tell me by this soft embrace,
By the most soft completion of thy face,
Those lips, O slippery blisses, twinkling eyes,
And by these tenderest milky sovereignties —
— John Keats