Q. A wonderful and generous woman invites me, on a regular basis, to dinner parties at her house. What is an appropriate gift for an impoverished artist to take along on such occasions? I am always told by her that I shouldn’t have brought anything but my rigid British upbringing is telling me otherwise.
— T. R., Florence
A. As a rule grandees have present fatigue. They already have wall-high supplies of scented candles and chocolates and find flowers irritating due to the nuisance of having to find a vase. They are not ungrateful for the ‘thought’ but for practical reasons, they prefer guests to walk in empty-handed. Having to thank someone for what they have brought disrupts the whole choreography of their entrance, the theatricality of their being welcomed and introduced to other guests. Far better to do something later. Return the hospitality at your own house — even if you live in the proverbial artist’s garret.
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