the farmer's wife, Saskia, who sells it to a dealer in Amsterdam. “As for the painting, she had hung it on a clothes peg to get it out of the way. In the evenings she hung clothes in front of it, so Stijin might not be reminded, but in the day she uncovered it… ‘Morningshine’ she called it … only if she could keep the painting.” (pg. 121) Saskia, wanting the painting, had no choice but to sell it because of her husband and her monetary problems. “So the next time I saw Aletta crying in front of the painting, I sat beside her and studied it, trying to understand how something so beautiful could grieve her. The tenderness of the girl’s face showed it was painted with intimacy and love- qualities missing.” Obviously, Adriaan is feeling not loved enough, the painting which gives him few. “I asked her what had made her cry. Papa said she had eyes like that, like pale blue moons, and hair like hers, that golden brown color, only in braids. She died when I was born.” (pg. 161) Aletta is missing a whole lot in her life, caused by the death of her birth giver. “Was it possible to paint with good conscience what he didn’t understand? What he didn’t even know? The face, not beautiful; the expression charged yet under containment – for him, he believed. To render it with honesty rather than pride or even mere love, to go beyond the painting of known sentiment into mystery – that was her challenge to him.” In Delft, Vermeer begins and completes the painting of his daughter Magdelena, “the face, not beautiful… for him [Vermeer], he believed.” (pg. 221) which he apparently paints beautifully. In Delft, Vermeer dies, and after his death, his daughter Magdelena sells the painting to the local baker to cover debts; later, in Amsterdam in 1696, Magdelena sees a "nice family" buying the painting at an auction. She is very saddened to see...
