I found this little treasure back in 1980 in the basement
of Jackie Onassis' apartment building on 5th Avenue across from Central Park. I
was doing some work for my Dad at the time. We installed anti-pollution
controls on incinerators.
Rich people throw away some pretty cool things. This
pencil drawing from about 1845 is a good example of some of the things I found.
Just look at this picture. She stares with beauty in her
eyes and just a hint of a smile plays across her mouth. I snatched her up in
her black wood shaved matting with a matching black frame. She has been with me
for the past 30 years.
Was this a portrait done for a loved one? Or perhaps it
was just a sketch by an amateur artist?
I find her mysterious, yet so real. There is something
flirtatious about her that captivated me long ago. She hangs on the wall beside
my bed. She is the only woman that my wife doesn't object to my seeing on a
regular basis.
The pencil strokes, when the sketch is held at an angle
to the light, are vivid and exact. They give life to the portrait. I must admit
to being in love with this woman - our age difference notwithstanding.
