Iris Steensma - printmaker: Fragments of Memory
Size: 30 x 11 cm MY AUNT'S GIFT
My father came from a large Dutch family, eleven children. His mother was Roman Catholic, his father was not. As a result all the daughters also became Roman Catholic and the sons had no particular religious faith like their father.
My grandfather insisted on all of his eleven children getting a good education and one of my aunts, Tante Jeane, became a pharmacist. On completing her studies she decided to become a nun.
As was the custom it was expected that a dowry would be paid when she entered her religious order. However my grandfather refused this, he felt that her education was her dowry.
During the war she would visit my parents bringing with her soap, which was made in the convent, and pass on any spare clothing coupons to my mother.
I was allowed to wear her veil and I would skip and twirl around the house doing a fairy dance.
One day she brought me a doll.
It was a boy.
I didn't know that dolls could be boys, I thought they were always girls.
I called him Jan.
Tante Jeane died in 2000. She was 92.
Two block Linocut
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