Marguerite Yourcenar, Mount Desert Island, Maine Possibly 1983 - 1986

This is Mariana Cook’s photographic portrait of Marguerite Yourcenar on Mount Desert Island, Maine. Look at the texture of the woven chair, the fabric of her shawl, and the subtle wrinkles on her face. It’s all rendered in such detail, isn’t it? There’s a sort of tender intimacy here. The soft light feels like a character in itself. And that light, it shapes the form, turning it into a thing of weight. It’s so important to consider how a material like light, or paint, can be used to communicate something essential about the subject. There’s something about the way the light wraps around her headscarf that reminds me of some of the old masters, maybe Rembrandt. But then, look at the way her hands rest on the arms of the chair. It’s so natural, so unposed. As if Cook is trying to catch a glimpse of the real Yourcenar, not some idealized version. Maybe it’s a little bit like what Fairfield Porter was doing in his paintings, trying to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. Art's about seeing, not just looking.