“there is a spectacular spiral of lemon peel […] cut so thin as to be translucent, a slice of the warmth and energy pouring into this room we’ll never see” (Doty 35). In his essay, “Still Life with Oysters and Lemon”, Mark Doty is captivated by a painting in the Met by Jan Davidsz de Heem, a painter from the 17th century. Although Heem’s paintings are hundreds of years old, the feeling of intimacy lingers in the room, brought to light by the lemons Heem paints. Doty is drawn to the painting, describing in loving detail each “amber inch of wine, dewy grapes, curl of a lemon peel” (Doty 34) and cannot help but examine how the painting makes him question the very nature of humanity. How we both crave intimacy, yet long to be independent of others,
