Tag Archives: Shelley Esaak

Leonardo, Michelangelo, & Raphael as dinner guests

Just ran across Shelley Esaak’s art history section at About.com. I recommend it highly. She’s a delightful writer with a direct style and has a way of making art accessible, interesting, and fun.

Her descriptions of what these three titans would be like as dinner party guests seemed to me “spot on” as well as delightfully funny:

Leonardo: As a dinner guest, would monopolize all conversation (but so interestingly, none would complain), enjoy the soup (and write down half of a new, improved recipe – wandering off, midway through, to fix the leaky faucet – never to finish writing the other half), linger long enough that all would beg him to stay and leave to a loud chorus of “Come back soon!”, whilst misappropriating a wine glass and forgetting his hat.

Michelangelo: As a dinner guest, would participate in conversation just enough to avoid outright rudeness, slurp the soup (probably complaining about its lack of salt to others, after the fact) and leave early, after eating two desserts and squirrelling a third into his napkin-lined pocket.

Raphael: As a dinner guest, would bring a hostess gift, engage everyone at the table in delightful conversation, praise the soup, stay exactly the perfect amount of time and send flowers the next day.

from Art History 101 – The High Renaissance
The Big Three Names of the High Renaissance
By Shelley Esaak, About.com