Mariann gazes out of the picture with an expression of innocence. Not one of naivety, but perhaps a look of curiosity or open mindedness. She is looking at something we can’t see.
You might call the drawing itself incomplete. She has a lot more to tell. We don’t know the context of her portrait. We can’t see the rest of her head and we can’t guess at what’s going through her mind. Her tresses are reminiscent of the courage of Caravaggio’s snake-haired Medusa, but that’s where the art history comparison ends. Her hair is interwoven with strings forming patterns such as the ouroboros (behind her ear) and the lemniscate (back of her head down left shoulder), both which can be seen as symbols of infinity and strength.
Don’t let the earrings fool you. I happen to know Mariann is a Gemini (the Twins). With that in mind, you know there’s always another story to discover.
