“The Quiet Man”

Our maternal grandmother volunteered as a docent at the National Portrait Gallery when we were young. She used to gather my middle sister and I for her gallery tours, often depositing us for a spell in the kid’s area. The space was called the Discovery Room or something similar. It was terrific. You could run around and touch the objects. There were cool reflective surfaces and tunnels. Things would light up on contact. A magical place. Sadly, it’s gone now (was thinking I’d love to go back in time to cement the imagery, but on second thought maybe it’s better left in that warm attic space of memory). Sometimes we would accompany her tour groups and stand at the back. Years later, she fondly recalled us mimicking her dignified delivery in front one of our favorites: “Grant and His Generals” (below). I remember how much she loved Andrew Wyeth, Edward Hopper, and Alexander Calder, and so I love them deeply, too. She set us on a course of art appreciation and exploration that will last a lifetime. For that, and for her unbounded kindness, we are forever grateful.