She was a young woman of great beauty, and even more beautiful when she was smiling and laughing.

It was a dark day when she saw, and loved, and married the painter. He was already famous for his art, and was always studying and working. The great love of his life was his work, his painting.

His beautiful young wife was playful, full of life and light and smiles, as happy and as loving as a child. But she learned to fear and then to hate everything about painting. Her husband’s work was her enemy, because it kept him away from her, hour after hour.

So it was a terrible thing for her when he said he wanted to paint her portrait. But she agreed because she loved him and wanted to please him.

For many weeks she sat in a dark high room where the light from above fell onto the painting and onto her. Day after day, she sat still and silent, not moving, not speaking.