In plain air: The spectacle of looking

They tease me, the Italian men walking in twos along the corso. And the young couples coming in and out of the café pause for a while to have a look. Their children are the boldest and also the most shy, coming close enough for me to hear their quickening breath, yet they say nothing. I know that my behavior invites the attention; I knew this when I woke up with the thought of painting this particular view of the street, but I'm doing it anyway. In the

They tease me, the Italian men walking in twos along the corso. And the young couples coming in and out of the café pause for a while to have a look. Their children are the boldest and also the most shy, coming close enough for me to hear their quickening breath, yet they say nothing. I know that my behavior invites the attention; I knew this when I woke up with the thought of painting this particular view of the street, but I'm doing it anyway. In the Umbrian region of Italy, the Medieval city…