Le Sommeil, Gustave Courbet, 1866.

Behind the blue black veil of darkness somnambulant fingers unbuttoned clothes. Fears mute, glances radiant by golden firelight, their hands conducted fond experiments in the science of desire. These experiences were new, but they moved like well choreographed dancers, and when their inner music had peaked and faded, they collapsed — hair and bodies intertwined — and slept until morning.

This entry is part of my journal, published January 24, 2014, in New York.