A woman at her toilette, drying her feet, Edgar Degas, pastel, 1886
On loan from the Musée D’Orsay, Paris
Today I went with a friend to see a jewel of an art exhibit at the Palazzina della Società Promotrice delle Belle Arti in Parco Valentino. This made me very happy, as I miss the Degas paintings and pastels (especially the bathers) at the Metropolitan Museum. The Bellelli Family portrait was also part of the exhibit, as were several other early paintings. But there was a bit of everything.
I also found out what happens when you take an adorable seven-month-old, blue-eyed baby girl into an art exhibit in Italy. People made a fuss. They touched the baby’s hands. They paid her over-the-top compliments. They forgot to look at the artwork! And on the way home, as I surfed down the tram’s aisle with the baby in one arm so my friend could get the stroller off the tram, a woman pulled on the baby’s jacket and said, “Pull down her jacket. She’s going to get cold!” I smiled, preferring to keep my balance and thus protect the baby’s head. It was 65 degrees out.
Both the Degas exhibit and the women telling my friend to overdress the baby reminded me of New York. Some things are the same in either place.
(More than...) Two Years in Torino 
Beautiful painting – and the word picture of women happily fussing over a child is charming.
Sounds wonderful!
I recall my mom telling me the exact thing about the Italians wrapping up the babies, even when it was hot! (My parents lived in Italy for a few years when my brother was a baby.) She couldn’t wait to get home to undress him and let him cool off.
GretchenJoanna, yes, they do fuss! I don’t know how my friend goes anywhere, but she’s very gracious. And I’m sure it’s helping her to learn Italian, too! (She’s Irish and came here from Wales.)
Silvana, where did your parents live in Italy? Did you ever go back there? If the conversations I here are indicative, the Torinese love the sun, love warmth, love the beach, and complain when the cool, damp fall days arrive. This just didn’t happen to be one of them!
I saw the exhibit this weekend 🙂 It was quite different than I had expected. VERY interesting!