Grand Duchess Teressa stands behind her husband's right shoulder, one hand on the back of his chair; she regards the painter-and the viewer-with an ironic eye. At her waist, half-concealed by the chair, she holds a small wicker basket of walnuts, signifying Intellect and Strategem and, no doubt, the Grijalva propensity for smothering their paintings in often nonsensical floral symbolism, especially since Teressa was the most self-effacing of Grand Duchesses, conscientious about her children and her charities but certainly uninvolved in the cares of government.

Most debate on this portrait centers on the figure of Alejandro. He does not look ill or even particularly old- perhaps a flattery by the artist-though his seated pose is evidently meant to mask the unidentified illness that forced him to abdicate at the age of forty. In his lap rests a bouquet of blue roses, which in Grijalva symbology represent Impossibility. From his left hand dangles a golden key, a reference possibly to his mother's Grijalva ancestry. More curiously, scattered under and around his boots are pea plants, some still in flower; research has revealed no iconographical meaning for the humble pea, but the sweet pea appropriately symbolizes Departure. That the sweet pea was intended is further borne out by Alejandro's chair; it is everywhere minutely inscribed with tiny writing-lately identified as that of an ancient Tza'ab mystic cult-recently translated as a single phrase repeated over and over: "Here it ends, 1 am free."

Alejandro officially abdicated in 1358 due to ill health and retired to Palasso Grijalva. No death date has ever been firmly established for him. The claims of certain art historians that this painting is by Grand Duke Alejandro himself, done many years after the abdication it records, are completely unsubstantiated and entirely ridiculous.

The prize of this small but exquisite collection-not as well known The Mirror of Truth, as the impressive collection at the Galerria Nacionalla but in its by Saavedra Grijalva, 1316. own way of great interest to the art lover-is Saavedra Grijalva's Oil on wood. acknowledged masterpiece. This intimate, detailed, and keenly per- Galerria Verrada. ceptive character study is all the more remarkable for the fact that the subject stands in profile with his back to the viewer.

Usually identified as Sario Grijalva, a painter of minor talent, the man wears clothing in the style known as Ila Revvolucion in honor of the great revolution which, after many years of tribulation and war, freed Ghillas from the tyranny of kings and nobles. His profile reveals the rather bland face of a typical Tira Virteian native, black hair, dark eyes, with a bold Grijalva nose. But a different face is seen in the mirror-sharper of feature, darker of eye, complexion as brown as a Tza'ab tribesman's.

Many scholars have argued over the meaning of this painting. Does it represent the chi'patro origins of the Grijalvas? Does it allude to a dark tale of captivity and loss, as set down in lurid detail in the novel by Branwell Brontis and later adapted into an operetta by the Strassi brothers? Does the centuries' difference in clothing suggest the modern man looking back to the unknowable past? Or does this painting, as some claim, express as allegory the Matra's ability to distinguish the true heart of that man brave enough to look into the mirror of his soul?

What makes the painting most affecting, and indeed its triumph as a work of art, is its surpassingly delicate use of light. The two candles in the windowless room have long since guttered out, the wicks cold and the melted wax solid in their iron stands. One of the two lamps is no longer burning, leaving Sario to contemplate the mirror by the light of a single lamp. Soon, the painter seems to suggest, this light, too, will fail, leaving him in utter darkness. What the man so captured thinks of this fate as he stares at his reflection we cannot, of course, ever know.

SELECTIVE LEXICON.

i "ee"

e "h" (as in junta); thus Grijalva is Gree-hal-vah ll "y" (as in mantilla); thus castello is kass-tey-oh; exception is Mechella (Meh-chel-ah) qu "kw" (as in quick); thus Mequel is Meh-kwel z "d'z"; thus Tazia is When in doubt, use Spanish rules.

adezo "now"-ah-dayz-oh Al-Fansihirro "Art and Magic"; Tza'ab term-Ahl-Fahn-see-hee-roh alla prima rapid painting completed in one session-ah-lah pree-mah amaniaja "tomorrow"-ah-mah-nee-ah-hah arborro greenhouse, conservatory-ahr-bohr-oh.

arcana magic-ahr-cahn-ah arrtio "artist"-ahr-tee-oh atelierro "studio"-ah-tell-ee-air-oh azulejo rosette tiles; Grijalva symbol-ah-zoo-lay-ho bassda enough, silence, shut up-bahz-dah borrazca "storm"-bohr-azh-kah camponesso, "country person," peasant-kam-po-nes-ohIah camponessa chassarro "chase," the hunt-shah-sahr-oh chi'patro "Who is the father?", bastard-chee-pah-troh chiaroscuro the play of light and shadow in art-kee-are-oh-skoor-oh chiros, chiras "pig," "sow"-chee-rohzIrahz Conflrmattio "confirmation," Proving-Kohn-feer-mah-tee-oh 'cordo "accord," I agree, okay-kor-doh curatorrio "curator"-koor-ah-tohr-ee-oh do'nado "of nothing," no problem-doh-nah-doh dolcho, dolcha "sweet"-dohl-chohIchah duennia chaperone-doo-en-ee-ah eiha "and so," well, anyway-ay-haen verro "in truth," really-on vay-roh estudo, estuda '' student''-ehs-too-dohIdah filho do'canna "son of a bitch"--feel-ho doh-kan-ah grazzo thanks, you're welcome, and please-grabd-zoh guivaerra "jewel''-gwih-vay -rah Il Aguo "The Water"; Grijalva Master; counterparts are Il Seminno (Semen) and Il Sanguo (Blood)-Eel Ah-gwoh, Seh-mee- noh, Sabn-gwoh Kita'ab Tza'ab holy book-Kih-tahb lingua merditta common vulgarisms, gutter language-leen-hwah mayr-dee-tah lingua oscurra "hidden language" of painting-oss-koor-uh lustrosso chandelier; lus-troh-so Luza do'Orro "Golden Light"; rare vision, genius-Loo-dzah doh'Ohr-roh mallica lingua "wicked tongue," sarcasm-mahl-lee-kah mareia unit of money-mah-ray-uh marrido "husband"-mah-ree-doh Menninos "Children [born] of Confirmattio"

do' Confirmattio moualimo "teacher"-moo-ah-Iee-moh nazha coloare "no color," pencil drawing-nah-zhah koh-loh-are-ay Neosso do'Orro "Gilded Youth"-Nee-oh-so doh-Or-ro Neosso Irrado "Angry Youth"-Ee-rahd-o Nommo Chieva do'Orro "In the Name of the Golden Key"-Nom-mo Chee-ay-vuh do-Or-ro Nommo Matra ei Filho "In the Name of the Mother and Son"-Mah-trah ay Feel-ho Paraddio Iluminadio "lighted walk"-Pah-rahd-ee-oh Ee-loo-mee-nah-dee-oh Paraddio Luminosso "torch walk"-Loo-mee-noh-soh Peintraddo Chieva "Key Painting," discipline painting-Payn-trah-doh Chee- ay-vuh Peintraddo Memorrio " Memorial Painting"-Meh-mohr-ee-oh Peintraddo Morta "Death Painting"-Mohr-tuh Peintraddo Natalia "Birthday Painting"-Nah-tabl-ee-uh Peintraddo Sonho "Dream Painting"-Sohn-ho Qal Venommo "Poison Pen," graffiti-Kahl Ven-nohm-oh Reccolto "harvest''-reh-kohl-toh Saluto ei Suerta "Health and Luck"-Sah-loo-toh ay Swear-tuh Sihirro ei Sangua "Magic and Blood"-Sih-heer-oh ay Sang-gwah Tza'ab Rih Tzah-ahb Ree Velurro "velvet''-veh-loor-oh Viehos Fratos "Old Brothers," Limner Council-Vee-ay-hohs Frah-tohs Zhi "yes"-zhee zia, zio "aunt," "uncle"-zhee-ahIoh zocalo square, plaza-zoh-kahl-oh