By EMMA SHAPIRO

To my Papa,

This painting encompasses sadness and almost surely death but I find happiness within it anyways. The door has swung open to the ocean, which typically would hint towards suicide, because of the ease of walking straight out into the waters. The water glistens though, and the sun has shone inside through the open door and a window in the room to the right. People commonly vacation to places like Florida or the Caribbean to be in the ocean and get rid of their worries and sorrows. So, instead of appearing as a depressing painting, this bright painting provokes feelings of anti-stress and a freedom from worries for me. This reminds me of when we used to vacation in Cape Cod for the summer, the closer we were to the ocean, the better, happier and more at ease we were. In this case, the home sits right on the water- about as perfect and happy as possible. I know sometimes you let your job stress you out, but you should imagine that the ocean is right outside your door to put you at peace.

The first painter I fell in love with was with Edward Hopper at a MoMA exhibit at around 10 years old. Most of his paintings have to do with with alienation, so the fact that I find such an immediate connection with them slightly disturbs me. The way he draws you in and makes you feel like your there is something I admire. Every time I look at his painting New York Movies I experience the sadness of the woman and feel an urge to go comfort her - although impossible. You've taught me everything I know about the appreciation of art:  paintings, sculptures, symphonies, and operas, and I owe being able to see some of the worlds' greatest art to you. This painting costs about 40 million dollars, so I expect a pretty big thank you.