If Milan is all about art and fashion, then the three days I spent there were an all-out success.
1) Seeing da Vinci’s The Last Supper
While standing in the first of two sealed chambers, I placed myself quite deliberately at the back of the group so that I would be the last to enter. In my mind, this was going to be a sacred moment and I wanted my encounter with one of the most famous religious artworks of all time to be as intimate as possible.
Someone once described seeing The Last Supper as being akin to visiting a dying man. And they were right. The painting seemed to be fading right before my eyes and I wanted to take it all in before the images were totally vaporized. It took great will to stop my hand-wringing about how fleeting the moment was and just concentrate on fully experiencing it instead.
And what a moment it was.
What I loved about da Vinci’s painting is how it is simultaneously realistic yet symbolic, religious yet secular. It is both a meaningful representation of an episode from the Bible, as well as an exceptional piece of art. Even as my mind registered the iconography of Jesus’ hands and the knife symbolically placed behind Judas’ back, I also marveled at how clear and distinct were the facial expressions of each apostle. Disbelief. Anger. Guileless.
My eyes noted the knot at the end of the tablecloth and all the creases where it had been folded. I noticed the sandaled feet under the table, as well as the glasses placed upon it. In the window behind them, i could clearly make out rolling hills and a bell tower.
It’s the amount of detail that amazes me. It’s the obvious effort that was put into the piece that fills me with awe. This wasn’t art-by-committee. This painting was the result of a talented artist allowed to practice his craft by his own rules. A rare circumstance making for a thrilling result.
2) Buying a new fragrance at La Rinascente
La Rinascente is a posh Italian department store chain featuring many top designer labels and the most impressive cosmetics department I have ever seen. At the airport in Montreal, I stocked up on my old stand-by (Amarige), but I wanted a new fragrance and I wanted something by Jo Malone.
Oh, the loveliness!
A beautiful young man walked me through the process, patiently waiting while I evaluated each scent – first on paper and then on my arm. The beautiful packaging. The ribbon. The courteous service. And oh, the weight of the bag on my arm as I walked away! The smile of the doorman as he opened the door for me. I was positively bursting with happiness as I left the store.
Why?
Although some may look upon the act of buying a new fragrance with derision or condescension, a woman’s choice of fragrance is a very important ritual – and has been so for as long as there have been women. It becomes part of our signature – like a delicate spiral of handwriting left in the air after we leave a room.
As I left the department store, I felt invigorated – as if I had just opened a new space for new memories (and new conquests!) in the months to come.
Did you miss my other posts about Italy? Catch up here.
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Epic moments, Milan, Italy
1) Seeing da Vinci’s The Last Supper
While standing in the first of two sealed chambers, I placed myself quite deliberately at the back of the group so that I would be the last to enter. In my mind, this was going to be a sacred moment and I wanted my encounter with one of the most famous religious artworks of all time to be as intimate as possible.
Someone once described seeing The Last Supper as being akin to visiting a dying man. And they were right. The painting seemed to be fading right before my eyes and I wanted to take it all in before the images were totally vaporized. It took great will to stop my hand-wringing about how fleeting the moment was and just concentrate on fully experiencing it instead.
And what a moment it was.
What I loved about da Vinci’s painting is how it is simultaneously realistic yet symbolic, religious yet secular. It is both a meaningful representation of an episode from the Bible, as well as an exceptional piece of art. Even as my mind registered the iconography of Jesus’ hands and the knife symbolically placed behind Judas’ back, I also marveled at how clear and distinct were the facial expressions of each apostle. Disbelief. Anger. Guileless.
My eyes noted the knot at the end of the tablecloth and all the creases where it had been folded. I noticed the sandaled feet under the table, as well as the glasses placed upon it. In the window behind them, i could clearly make out rolling hills and a bell tower.
It’s the amount of detail that amazes me. It’s the obvious effort that was put into the piece that fills me with awe. This wasn’t art-by-committee. This painting was the result of a talented artist allowed to practice his craft by his own rules. A rare circumstance making for a thrilling result.
La Rinascente is a posh Italian department store chain featuring many top designer labels and the most impressive cosmetics department I have ever seen. At the airport in Montreal, I stocked up on my old stand-by (Amarige), but I wanted a new fragrance and I wanted something by Jo Malone.
Oh, the loveliness!
A beautiful young man walked me through the process, patiently waiting while I evaluated each scent – first on paper and then on my arm. The beautiful packaging. The ribbon. The courteous service. And oh, the weight of the bag on my arm as I walked away! The smile of the doorman as he opened the door for me. I was positively bursting with happiness as I left the store.
Why?
Although some may look upon the act of buying a new fragrance with derision or condescension, a woman’s choice of fragrance is a very important ritual – and has been so for as long as there have been women. It becomes part of our signature – like a delicate spiral of handwriting left in the air after we leave a room.
As I left the department store, I felt invigorated – as if I had just opened a new space for new memories (and new conquests!) in the months to come.
Did you miss my other posts about Italy? Catch up here.