The First Gift, by Mary Riter Hamilton.
This is the other Riter Hamilton painting Edith Nicholson will see in the Montreal Art Association Salon. Apparently, this woman is opening the first gift from her fiance and she is suddenly struck by the meaningfulness of it all. The gift is of slender irises, in cool purple, which are supposed to be just like the 'chaste' girl.
This is how it was described in a newspaper report. In my story Edith's story (follow up to Threshold Girl www.tighsolas.ca/page10.pdf.pdf Edith either will read this at the museum in a paper brochure or hear a living guide say it as he gives a tour. I almost wrote " as SHE gives a tour." Highly unlikely, unless it is a society woman patron. This sighting of this painting is of great significance, as a few days before Edith's great love was killed in a fire. All true!!
So, seeing this painting and then the Maternity one will set her off on some kind of delirium. She has also taken too much nerve tonic, anyway, it being her afternoon off.
Well, 'gift giving' was codified in 1910 courtship. I read in the etiquette columns and books of the 1910 era that a woman NEVER accepts a give from a man, however small, although she can give a small one. Or is it the other way around? (Again, it's the prostitution thing, rearing its ugly head.)
This painting reminds me of Whistlers Lady with a Fan. Or Lady in White.. The one with Japanese tones. A favorite of mine. I think I will look it up. (Just a minute...nah, just the dress, although if the colours are vivid in the still life beside her, maybe it does look like it. When was it done.. (Just a minute) Well, it's called Symphony in White 2 Girl with Fan and it was painted in 1864, so likely Riter saw that painting in Europe somewhere. (Well, I just entered the two names into Google and it appears Riter Hamilton trained at an Academie (Vittie) that rivaled a certain Academie Carmen that Whistler supported. It was in Montparnasse. All things are connected!!
Marion Nicholson obviously gave a Christmas gift to Mr. Blair in 1912. He writes about it in a letter, then says that his gift (a nice one) must have got lost in the mail. A lie? Well, he had just extricated himself from a relationship where the girl obviously felt they had an understanding. So it was all very tricky for men and for women.
Alas, Marion wasn't one to follow the rules of the day anyway.
