How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Greta worried that the odor […] would settle into her canvases, but Einar told her it was impossible, not with the shellac. "They're impenetrable," he remarked of her paintings, which sounded—once it was said, hovering between the two of them like a bat—unkind. (6.6)
When we first meet Greta, she paints portraits and coats them with a thick layer of transparent shellac. It preserves the paintings, but it's also impenetrable. This makes Greta's paintings a lot like her: persistent (some might say stubborn), and difficult to get close to.
Quote #2
"Her painting of a young girl named Lili would be frightening if it wasn't so beautiful." (6.25)
An art critic says this about Greta's first painting of Lili, and she takes it as her first real compliment on her work. What do you think makes the painting "frightening"?
Quote #3
Over the summer she had begun to change her style, using brighter colors, especially pinks and yellows and golds, and flatter lines and an even larger scale. […] Nothing made her happier than painting Lili. (8.13)
Greta also leaves off the shellac, adding to the imagery here. The painting, even though it's of Lili and not a self-portrait, reflects Greta's attitude. She becomes happier and more open when Lili is around.