I was leafing through a book on Ludwig Bemelmans when I noticed this little picture in the corner of a page.

I love how images can conjure up really specific associations. To me, this one's about the '50s, calisthenics, old school gyms with hardwood floors and benches, medicine balls. Maybe the Ballet Russe warming up. Or a demonstration of rythmic gymnastics. And something I heard on NPR the other day, a rarely performed Prokofiev piece called Music for Athletic Exercises.

I didn't know when I drew those that she's actually the famous Parisian stripteaseuse, Dodo D'Hambourg. Here's Bemelmans' take.