My tastes in raiment, the arts and interior decorating, such as they are, did not in me spring fully formed from the womb. Like you, they developed over time, keeping what I liked and leaving the rest. The progenitor for me, the man whose sensibilities I’ve followed in ways great and small, is one you’ll doubtless recognize - Gomez Addams. His creator, Charles Addams, described him thusly, “Gomez is husband to Morticia (if indeed they are married at all) ... a crafty schemer, but also a jolly man in his own way ... though sometimes misguided ... sentimental and often puckish — optimistic, he is in full enthusiasm for his dreadful plots ... is sometimes seen in a rather formal dressing gown ... the only one who smokes.” Furthermore, though an extremely successful businessman, having acquired much of his wealth through inheritance and investments, Gomez has little regard for money and will casually spend thousands of dollars on any whimsical endeavor (Bingo!). As regards artwork festooning New Bellevue House, let me tell of but one example from the collection that makes the case.
© 2024 John Oliver
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