*Trigger: mention of suicide, asylum*

It was unseasonably hot for this time of year, and the air conditioning didn’t seem to be working.

Still, Sarah lingered at the museum. She had paused for this one painting three times now. It was familiar, of course. She had seen it many times on coffee mugs and fridge magnets. Heck, the museum even had it on tote bags at the gift shop.

But this was the very first iteration. On a canvas. On a wall. In a museum.

It felt significantly more important now.

“Siri, come look at this,” Sarah’s voice gently echoed through the almost empty room.

A tall, ethereal man in a dark suit dutifully turned towards her. He was refined and unbothered by the heat. He approached and processed the wall hanging.

“What do you think of it, Siri?”

Siri gently offered, “Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch painter born in 1853. He painted almost 900 paintings in 10 years. Van Gogh’s staples were coffee, cigarettes, and bread. The truth behind van Gogh’s ear is still unknown. ‘Starry Night’ was created in an ‘asylum’. Van Gogh was a pioneer of the post-impressionistic selfie. He wasn’t appreciated for his art until after his death 201 years ago at the age of 37 and…”

“Hey Siri,” interrupted the woman. “Did he… how did he die?”

Siri processed, while he took out a handkerchief to wipe off a small smudge on his shoe.

“It is unclear. Some sources say Van Gogh did not actively seek death but that when it came to him, or when it presented itself as a possibility, he embraced it”.

“I see. Then why did he paint? All those works of art. For nothing. What compelled him to paint when no one cheered for him? No one rewarded him. And how did he accomplish all this?”

Siri searched. 

“I don’t know about that,” said Siri. He folded the handkerchief into a neat triangle and put it away. “You have a dinner reservation in 32 minutes. Traffic will cause a delay. Calculating an alternate route.”

“I wish we didn’t have to go just yet,” said Sarah, gazing into the canvas.

“I can duplicate Starry Night for you, or I can create an original artwork based on the works of Vincent van Gogh.”

I know you can, Siri. I appreciate you so much. You are a very good assistant. And very intelligent.” She feigned a smile. 

He acknowledged.

Siri escorted her to the car, where her favourite song was already playing and the air conditioning was already blasting, just how he knew she liked it.

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