When Freya was working at the Ashmolean she shared an office with Weimin, the official artist documenting the redevelopment of the museum. In addition to his drawings of the renovation he drew portraits of many of the staff. Freya and Weimin often discussed making her portrait, but unfortunately she fell seriously ill before he could start work.

 

We met Weimin at his exhibition “Building the new Ashmolean Museum” which was part of the official reopening. Knowing that this was something that she had wanted, he kindly offered to draw Freya for us.

 

The books on the shelves behind Freya in the ink drawing above are a selection of those that she loved most dearly. It is a wonderful, delicate picture which shows a true sympathy for Freya, and the meticulous care Weimin took in chosing the books to represent her.

 

The second drawing is in coloured pencil, and is a simple, lyrical picture of Freya as she would have liked to be remembered: sitting in the sunshine in our garden wearing a crown of daisies made by her sister, texting her friends, and with her books of Horace and Catullus close at hand.