It’s Sunday morning and together with Man and Daughter I visit the very large market in Bretignolles-sur-mer. After browsing and buying (food for a picnic and dress for Daughter) we sit down in a café to have a quick coffee. The large table is made of reclaimed pieces of wood on a table frame, sloppily painted, as you can see in this picture.
Then Daughter asks:
“Is this table also made by Georges Braque?”
I rewind her question in my head, because I must have misunderstood her. I repeat her question to her and indeed she asked me whether Georges Braque, the painter who we saw some paintings of in Rouen last week, created this table. I take a good look at the table to see why she associates this one with Braque. Noticing the colours I see they could have been on Braque’s palette. Then I take a good look at Daughter. Three years old and already a proper observer of art.
I have had many conversations with Oliver like this over the years, and I’ve learned that his lateral thinking abilities outstrip my own. So even if the connection isn’t apparent, “just like that movie we saw [12 years ago]” from Oliver is worthy of paying attention to.
It was mindblowing to notice how, even only three years old, she associates stuff. I can’t wait for more of that.