Margareta Haverman | A Vase of Flowers | The Metropolitan Museum of Art (metmuseum.org)
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A Vase of Flowers – Margareta Haverman
Second Sister – 06/29/21
…and she stood and studied the painting, not so much to admire, as it was so dark, but to search out to the details, annoyed with the dark background – perhaps it darkened over the 300 years since its creation – ok, she could live with that, but also she wanted to honor the painter, a woman, one among so few – Mary Cassatt being one of her favorites – actually, perhaps the favorite! For she feared, and yes, also understood, that women were not part of the great artistic periods of the past, perhaps not encouraged or allowed, or even worse, not even part of the world of their thoughts and hopes, not an inkling that this was a possibility, not a door open, not a window lifted to allow for fresh air, a clearer view of what their lives could encompass and include – a source of anger, once for historical insensitivity, perhaps even injustice, but an anger now cornered and tamed to encourage understanding, curiosity, exploring possibilities, for all her students, the girls and the boys, for she was determined to do good for all of them, for even though her art, such as it is, may not be shown hundreds of years hence, at least her words, her encouragement, her prodding, gentle and otherwise, would still echo in the words and works of her students and their generations, not her words but the fruit thereof to produce good, when she and her art are long forgotten.
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