in my neighbor's kitchen
over a cup of fresh brewed tea
we unexpectedly revisited
memorable art treasures in Italy.
It started when
I noticed a 24" statue
of the Blessed Mother
standing on a wooden fence
within in sight of Jane's kitchen table.
The smiling plaster virgin
reminded me of the
24" Michelangelo plaster DAVID
my aunt gave to me
three decades ago
that is out-of-sight
in my basement.
"DAVID should only be
massive and marble
standing outside like he does in Florence.
Puny and white plaster,
like my statue,
standing on a bookcase.
he looked downright obscene"
We laughed out loud
and then agreed
our favorite Michelangelo sculptures
in Florence
are the powerful captives
wrestling to free themselves
of their stone prisons.
Our memories moved us quickly to Rome
where we revisited
Michelangelo's powerful MOSES
in San Pietro in Vincoli.
after the long walk
on a hot day
to get to that church
where the light on the statue
costs a coin.
Then we jumped to
the town of Arezzo
for basking in the wonder and richness
of the The Legend of the True Cross
frescoes by Piero della Francesca
in the Church of San Francisco.
It was a rich hour
as we returned together
to places we visited separately
on different days years apart
As we each saw
the vivid images of timeless art masterpieces
held in our memories
like photos in an art history textbook
we forged a new connection.
Post Script:
At that time I was completing my MFA in Painting and had logged a LOT of hours in Art History, something I really love. His concentration in all science classes to prepare for medical school and then the years after had left Jim a bit art history challenged. So the focus on Michelangelo was a wonderful solution to bringing us together as we walked miles from church to church for three weeks.
That was the first of other trips to Italy - but those are other stories.
And, art was always a memorable companion.
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