Allela Cornell, "Portrait of Patricia Highsmith" 1943

THE PORTRAIT 

“Allela and Pat attended art 
classes together, and Highsmith 
often sat for her new lover.”
—Andrew Wilson, Beautiful Shadow:  
A Life of Patricia Highsmith
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The large oil portrait of Highsmith—
dressed in a red jacket, white blouse

With its large, haunted owl-like eyes—
her complexion tinged with green
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Later was always there on the wall—
wherever Highsmith chose to live

Pat loved the portrait perhaps—
because of something evil 
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Something evil in the face—
just come back from the grave