Oil  28″ x 32″ *

Taken from a photo at a 1947 Italian wedding reception in Brooklyn. This mother/ daughter duo complained the entire time I was interpreting them; they disliked their outfits: I had to change them twice. They needed makeup. If I left the easel for a couple of days, their eyes followed me accusingly. They were jealous of my friendships, they criticized my wardrobe, they were hungry. They thought all the other women hanging on the walls were beneath them.

I’m glad they’re not my relatives. Could they be yours?