20th
Permanent collection
Occasionally you catch sight of a person so intact, so egglike in his or her self-containment, that you can stare with impunity (the person will never notice). Here’s an illustration:
This raspberry of a woman was at a play last night that we attended. She was around 73 years old and wore a chenille top and matching pants with bright white sneakers. Nobody accompanied her, and she wore an expression of patience so eternal that it seemed carved or painted onto her face.
During intermissions, as you can see, she occupied herself with examining and organizing items from her bag. Her frame was one common to older women: toothpick legs and a large, soft torso that looks as if it were designed to protect the squishy organs within. Composure and vulnerability don’t often find such proportions in a person, and it is always a lucky thing to witness.
