Grandma reapplies her lipstick, adjusts her shoulder pads and pulls Grandpa in frame to lint brush his jacket. Mom fidgets with her diamond earrings and tells Dad to come tame his wild eyebrows. My brother just glances in and smiles while his wife plays with her bangs and ties her hair back with a long grosgrain ribbon. I just check to make sure my nose isn’t too red from the champagne punch.
The perfect family portrait. Perfect lipstick, jackets, diamonds, teeth and bangs. Mom places us in our usual spots and I run to set the timer, tripping on the cat as I get back into position. I take Mom down with me. My brother tries to catch us and grabs his wife for support, accidentally catching her ribbon and taking her hair down. Grandma howls as someone steps on her foot and Grandpa just continues to smile. “Cheese!” The camera flashes.
Next year as we prep ourselves in the large salon mirror, we look at last year’s portrait hung in a frame right next to it. Like the mirror, the frame is beautiful and ornate, but inside of it we’re just us. A bit of a mess.
Italy
c. 1890
Hand-carved Gilt Wood
51.5" wide x 6" deep x 72" high
$6500
