Maria R. (EII) - All people are inherently good

I loved looking at the beauty of people: beautiful faces, beautiful clothing. But if I saw an evil or frightening person in a painting, I would feel upset and lost in the first few seconds, not knowing what to say—as if something inside me dropped downward in those moments. For example, in Surikov’s painting Boyarynya Morozova, I saw a terrifying old woman in chains, sitting in a sleigh—I felt a chill down my spine, goosebumps all over my body. But then I would tell myself that this was intentional, like a mistake that also has the right to coexist in this world. “This person will be angry for a little while and then stop, and will be good again.” But the first impression is, of course, fear, because the world inside me is perfect—everyone is wonderful, and there is no place for evil.