Dear Art Lover,
The Italians have two ways (at least) to
say, “I love you.” The one with which
most foreigners might be familiar is, “Ti
amo.” Literally, “You, I love.” This phrase is usually reserved for romantic
or passionate love. The other way to say
“I love you” is, “Ti voglio bene.” Literally, “You, I want well.” You will hear this spoken between friends and
family.
In my salt and pepper experiences in amore, I must say that passion
fades. Not always, and it may change
without disappearing, but it seems only a relatively lucky few figure out how
to keep the flames from burning out. Another
observation is that passionate or romantic love is often about the lover more
than the beloved. It can be a bit
selfish in its urgency. However, “I want
you well” is actually a generous desire.
Is that not more about the beloved; perhaps even without much thought to
the needs of the one who expresses the love? This form of love strikes me as
true, dependable, and longer lasting.
I tend to think that English is a more
precise language. We have so many
similar words with slightly different meanings.
We can be quite specific in what we communicate. However, I think the Italian way of
distinguishing the kind of love is actually helpful. Imagine the chaos of miscommunication: the stuff of movies, or of drama queens! [By the way, Italians also have two words for
“gift.” Il regalo is generally used for
presents one gives on occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries, job-related
events, etc. Il dono is the kind of gift one
gives from the heart. It has more
emotional meaning. This could mean a
donation to a charity, a gift of an organ to a loved one in surgery, or even a
simple stone given “just because.”
Charming, isn’t it?]
Perhaps you will remember the post I made
on 15 December, in which I presented a marvelous painting by Niccolò Barabino (1831–1891). Her home is in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo in Florence, Italy.
There is another painting that I believe
is by the same author. I had to ask one
of the docents how to get up on the next floor to see it. By elevator only, she said. When I arrived, the whole floor seemed closed
off. However, I had only come to see
more of what was visible on the floor beneath me. I really love this painter’s use of dark and
light to emphasize his subject. And
perhaps you will recognize one of these saints.
Hmmm? Allora, Merry Christmas.
Ti voglio bene,
Kelly
~ Kelly Borsheim, artist
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