Mary Mary Quite Contrary

Silly Question – Just Look Up

The first thing one notices looking at this illustration is the soft, but very lush, setting that somewhat diminishes the title character and her very formal visitor. The two characters are centered in the lower half of the image with the young man bowing politely to Mary and, one presumes, asking about her garden. Of course, if he just looked up, he would have to find something else with which to open the conversation. Giant sunflowers tower over the young people and Mary tends a full bed of smaller flowers along the path below. The viewer’s eye is drawn to the gold and red-orange tones of Mary’s dress, assuring that this is, indeed, her story.