This beautiful and elegant lady lives in San Miguel de Allende and was a friend of the Longs. Anne Long taught English to Maruja, and Maruja taught Spanish to Anne. From that friendship this painting was born, a wonderful combination of still life, portrait, and beautiful background.
In April 2009, we were so surprised to receive an email through this website from—you guessed it—Maruja herself. She had lost track of the Longs and decided to follow a friend’s suggestion and check on the internet. We have since exchanged several warm and cordial messages.
The drape in the background is another product of Yankeebush Workshop, Long’s fabric design and silk-screening business in the late 1940s. You first saw one of these designs, Hare and Finch, in another painting earlier in this gallery.
Years ago, Robert Long gave this painting to his niece, Chris’s cousin Sherry. She has treasured it in her home in New Mexico. In January 2024, Chris and Sherry decided to mix things up a bit, swapping this painting of Maruja for the one called Sunday Afternoon. So now Maruja lives at Cactus Hill, while Sunday Morning has move one state to the west.
