“A woman has to live her life, or live to repent not having lived it.”–D.H. Lawrence (11 September 1885-2 March 1930), Lady Chatterley’s Lover
Reading (Portrait of Edma Morisot) by Berthe Morisot (1873).
Berthe Morisot (14 January 1841-2 March 1895).
“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.”–Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
Flora by Rembrandt (1634):
Flora by Rembrandt (1634). Modeled by the artist’s wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh.
I’m really feeling this color palette today, especially the flower crown.
It is snowing here for the second time in three days; definitely not our first snow of the season, then, but this image speaks to me on multiple levels. Our house dates to the time of this painting. I love her beautiful blue dressing gown and the wistful intimacy of the setting. The colors, the composition, the mood that so readily crosses the centuries–all are things that I find very relatable.
First Snow by Robert Koehler (circa 1895)
May her serenity rub off on me.
Train in the Snow by Claude Monet (1875):
I’ve spent most of the past week+ methodically recording the contents of J’s main scrapbook. I’m only about 25 percent finished. This is going to take awhile. Fortunately, it’s easy for me to get a rhythm going if I do it while watching T20 cricket. Whatever works, right? This might sound tedious to you, but I’m a weirdo who finds this kind of thing to be ridiculous amounts of fun. Every day that I work on this mini-project, I’m reminded of how lucky I am to be the caretaker of J’s legacy. Who knows how many impulsive decisions were made over the years to ensure that her scrapbooks and photos were not tossed in the trash? I’m well aware that this path was a fragile one. One false step could have resulted in an unknowable tragedy.
RESEARCH NOTES: WEEK 15
Until next time!
Sorry for posting this two days late. I had internet problems on Tuesday and was too busy to fit this bit of writing into Wednesday’s schedule. Let’s get started!
And I thought that endlessly staring at online copies of census records was hard.
It turns out that poring over century-old newspaper clippings (I’m talking physical copies) is even worse on the eyes. Who knew, haha? I finally forced myself to start cataloging the contents of J’s small but mighty scrapbook. It’s tedious only from the standpoint that it is going to take weeks (I’m on page 8) to finish. Other than the necessarily slow nature of the process, it is really damn exciting. I’ve already learned a great deal more about J and her early career in Memphis. This has also, of course, opened up many, many, and I do mean many, new avenues to explore. Dozens. All by page 8. Researching a biography is hard, y’all. That’s mostly a good thing, so I won’t complain.
RESEARCH NOTES: WEEK 14
Until next time!
Happy New Year! 2021 will be the first full year of my research. (I only started this project about three months ago.) I’m excited to find out where things take me. I’ve already learned a significant amount of information about J, yet I know it’s a drop in the ocean of what I’ll need in order to write this biography.
RESEARCH NOTES: WEEK 13
