The miracle we can perceive in some of the portraits grows out of the rich internal life of the children themselves. I believe that these children are neither sad nor cheerful, but that they are looking deeply into themselves, beginning their journey in life, and gazing, like Narcissus, into the double mirror of their delightful souls.

If my vision of Childhood is disturbing to some viewers, it is surely because it represents the exact opposite of what they would like to see: The spectacle of the carefree invulnerability of childhood, complete with a parade of reassuring smiles - the soothing image of the affable littte creature disconnected from the malevolent adult world.