"Mi raccomando tesoro, cerca di fare bella figura": Exploring "making a good impression" Evoked through a Photograph and Story

Abstract

They say "a picture paints a thousand words", which is what artist and scholar Jo-Anne Duggan's photographs do. One of her collections, Reverence #1, not only inspired the author's short story, but became its setting. The photograph of Prato's Monastery of St. Niccolò whispered "voglio fare bella figura" (I want to make a good impression), a concept that simmers under the surface of every aspect of Italian life. This article encapsulates the concept via a story that breathes care and love, and a desire to make just the "right" impression. Both story and the analysis thereafter, highlight the importance of "bells figura" in Italian culture. While second nature to Italians, it explores the historic medium through the creative media of photography and storytelling.