Artist's Itemized Statement - 1946

AN ITEMIZED STATEMENT

An artist employed to renovate and retouch the great oil paintings in an old church in Belgium, rendered a bill of $62.04 for his services. The church directors, however, required an itemized bill, and the following was duly presented and paid:

For correcting the Ten Commandments, $5.12; for renewing Heaven and adjusting the stars, $7.14; for touching up Purgatory and restoring lost souls, $3.06; for brightening up the flames of Hell, putting new tail on the Devil, and doing odd jobs for the damned, $7.17; for putting new stone in David's sling, enlarging head of Goliath, $6.13; for embellishing Pontius Pilate and putting new ribbon on his bonnet, $3.02; for mending shirt of Prodigal Son and cleaning his ear, $3.39; for putting new tail and comb on St. Peter's rooster, $2.20; for  re-pluming and re-gilding left wing of Guardian Angel, $5.18; for washing the servant of the High Priest and putting carmine on his cheek, $5.02; for taking spots off the xxx of Tobias? {illegible}, $10.30; for decorating Noah's Ark and new head on Shem, $4.31. Total  $62.04.
~ Bellwood Bulletin, 04-Apr-1946, Page 1, Column 1