Dear
all,
A little while ago I
posed a question to the group and some requested that the responses be
shared with the list. Below is my question and the wonderful responses. Thanks
to all, especially those who got in touch with colleagues and/or associates in
Italy for more information!
<Is there
a specific term for the light reflected off the water of Venice onto the
underside of bridges and perhaps ceilings?? A colleague at the public
library called with this question from a patron of hers. It is beyond my
knowledge and I have exhausted our resources here. Is there such a term?
(The closest I have been able to get is perhaps a variant usage of the term
cangianti.)>
-
"cangiante" is an adjective which is associated with colour more
than with light. I suggest something like . . ."il riflesso
vibrante" or "mobile dell'acqua"...".
- I believe that the
phenomenon you inquire about is referred to in English as "atmospheric
light." Whether or not there is an Italian term for it, I'm not sure, but
this might be a start.
- Our
Director of Education sent this reply when I asked if she knew:
“Let me know if they
are looking for an Italian word, or an English one.I don’t have my Italian
dictionary here, but could ask Italian friends. . .Meanwhile, cangianti is pretty good; it translates as
“shifting” or “shimmering” (as in light reflecting off a surface.) In
French, it’s “changeant”, same concept. Used by art historians to describe
the effect of light shimmering off the surface of silks, and the shifting colors
that often produces, for example. “Changeant” is often used by English
speakers (esp. art historians), as there really isn’t an equivalent in
English.”You
might get a definitive answer from someone else, but in the meantime you have
this. I imagine you’ll settle for English or Italian.
- I
don't know of a specific term, but I do know of an instance where someone
mistakenly thought "limpid" was the specific term: when I was an undergrad, two
different art history professors referred to "limpid light" when describing
Venetian scenes so consistently (and reverently) that one of my cohort thought
"limpid" meant "Venetian."
- This is a pretty late
response to your question, which I forwarded to a co-worker. She in turn
asked her Italian (unfortunately not from Venice!) sister-in-law, who replied:
Oh, dear, I have no idea! I can visualize perfectly what she describes, but
I don't know that there is a specific term for it, other than riflesso (i.e., il
riflesso dell'acqua sul soffitto o sotto il ponte).
What a curious questions!
People must really think that librarians know everything!
Thank
you again to all! The public librarian who asked the question of me was
delighted!
Best
wishes
Joyce
Joyce
Weaver
Librarian
T H E
M I N T M U S E U
M
Mint
Museum
of Art
2730
Randolph Road
Charlotte,
NC 28207
704.337.2023
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www.mintmuseum.org
Please note revised
e-mail address
Experience Art!