"You know those people who scribble lines and shapes on cigarette packs? The first shapes they pick are letters or numbers. The anonymous person who drew the lovely digit 2 over and over--who knows when--with an untrained hand on the margins of one of the most beautiful miniatures in the Sarajevo Haggadah was just an alphabet writer.' His digits are so beautiful because he didn't insist on making them beautiful and didn't give them too much thought. At first I also drew letters, and then they became facts. A story readymade from reality to be used properly--to be integrated into the painting."