Art History

Even today we know that a toothy smile is different from a closed-mouth grin. That villains smile as well as angels. That after a fall a child will smile at their mother if they are trying hard not to cry. I know this because that's what I do; that's what I have always done. Have you seen any old paintings of smiles? Julie's mother, Élisabeth, painted herself smiling with her mouth open and her teeth showing. That was in 1786. Personalities in the art world of that time, in Paris, were shocked by the painting; it made everyone woozy. Julie was also in the painting, but her mouth is closed and her expression is pensive. Three years later Julie's mother painted another self-portrait with her daughter and in that one they both smile and show some teeth. It is not enough to see someone smiling, my mother said over my shoulder--looking at my open book of art history. A smile needs to be deciphered. A smile is a code. And then she winked at me.

Self-portrait with her daughter, Julie by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun