Louisette- thinking of home

Margaret Van Maanen

Louisette sat for a portrait sketch. She was telling me about growing up in France. When she took a break she relaxed into this position and I then asked her to "hold it there". She is an older lady who has lost her husband. I was thrilled when she told me that she felt like she was "somebody" and "useful" by sitting for me. That is the power of portraiture and why I love the challenge of this difficult genre - the validation of each person's dignity as an individual.