Naming a painting is like naming a child; it requires equal parts creativity and gravitas. It should be interesting and engaging but it shouldn’t look like an April Fool’s joke on a government document. At times names come easily and they make themselves known before the artist has even finished their work. Other times, the perfect name escapes us and we are left throwing names at a wall until something remotely acceptable sticks. In this instance, Italian Love Affair had named itself before I had even started a mockup of the cars.
First and foremost, the painting’s name arose from my love for the country of Italy. Italy is a place that I simply can’t stay away from and every trip there continues to have a profound effect on my life. It inspired me to rally a collection of cars named after several Italian cities. Fortunately, Ferrari’s naming department has bestowed the names of several Italian cities upon their cars and as such gifted me with the perfect opportunity to transform these musings into a tangible painting. The three cars and their namesakes that will be gracing the canvas are the Modena, the Portofino, and the Roma.
MODENA
There are two excellent reasons to become acquainted with the city of Modena: traditional balsamic vinegar and luxury sports cars. Now, I could go off on a tangent and begin championing the aceto balsamico tradizionale, and why it is the only one true balsamic vinegar that is superior to all others. Instead, I will simply advise that you buy the TBV and thank me later. Let’s turn back to the luxury sports cars which are actually the topic at hand. Although Turin has historically been the automotive manufacturing capital of Italy, it is Modena which finds itself at the heart of Italy’s world-famous supercars. Modena is the epicenter of Italy’s Motor Valley which unabashedly boasts the headquarters of not only Ferrari, but also Maserati, Pagani, De Tomaso, Lamborghini, and Ducati. Simply put, it is the speediest place in Italy, and many car lovers consider it their Mecca.
The Ferrari Modena went into production in 1999 and remained in production until 2005 when it was removed from the lineup and replaced by the less-impressively named Ferrari F430. The Modena was the first Ferrari road car constructed entirely of aluminum paving the way for the generations of Ferraris to follow. When choosing the colour for the Modena, I quickly decided on yellow. Yellow is for all intents and purposes the colour of the city of Modena. It is both present on the city’s flag and crest and various shades can be found on many of the city’s beautiful buildings. Coincidently and for the same reason, the background on Ferrari’s shield emblem is yellow and if that reasoning worked for Enzo Ferrari, who I am to disagree?
PORTOFINO
The Italian Riviera may not be a destination that the average person is acquainted with but if anyone were asked if they would like to visit the Italian Riviera, it would be unlikely that anyone would refuse the experience. The Italian Riviera or rather the Ligurian Riviera spans the entire coastline of the province of Liguria and is home to a myriad of beautiful coastal municipalities. One of those municipalities is the town of Portofino. Portofino has long been an esteemed port of choice for the world’s discerning elite with the distinction of being the wealthiest municipality in all of Italy. While owning a yacht is not a prerequisite to visiting the town of Portofino, you would be able to count them like sheep while you doze by the seaside on your much-envied Italian vacation.
The Ferrari Portofino was introduced to the world in 2017 and remained in production until 2023 when it was officially announced that it would be phased out and replaced by the Ferrari Roma. The Portofino was true to its namesake oozing class and sophistication from its carbon fiber air ducts. The Portofino was designed to be the daily driver we would all love to have while delivering on equal parts sportiness and luxurious comfort. Choosing the colour for the Portofino was rather easy. Taking in the Ligurian Sea and the sparkling azure coastline supplied an abundance of inspiration to create a truly beautiful painting. To say that the Portofino will simply be azure is incomplete as the goal will be to capture the palette of the sea’s varying depths.
ROMA
All roads lead to Rome including the one that takes us to our last stop on this painting. Knowing where to start is a challenge when considering Rome. That shouldn’t be a surprise given that the city of Rome has a storied history that spans 28 centuries. Throughout the centuries it has received a number of monikers but none more famous than The Eternal City and Caput Mundi. These names are more than just a reference to a bygone era. They are a testament to the magnitude of Rome’s lasting historical importance on a global scale. These days Rome receives roughly 7-10 million tourists per year and if you asked any one of them about their time there - they would probably wax poetically about the monuments, art, museums, and perhaps even their trip to the Bioparco di Roma. In contrast, if you ask an Italian about Rome - you are much more likely to get an earful about useless politicians, horrible traffic, taxes, and a football match at the Stadio Olympico that either went very well or very badly.
The Ferrari Roma was unveiled by Ferrari in 2019, and has continued to remain in production through 2024. My first thought upon seeing the car considered how similar the design was to the old Ferrari 250 GT Lusso. I later read with smug satisfaction that the 250 GT Lusso was indeed the design inspiration and I reveled knowing that for that moment I was one of “those people” that somehow knew a niche yet questionably useful car fact. I find the 60s’ inspired design to be one of the best Ferrari bodies and the Roma has one of my favourite models for its looks alone. I spent a considerable time deliberating on the colour for the Roma. I contemplated the rich madder red of the Roman legionnaires and the rare tyrian purple of the emperors but in the end, it was a softer colour which won out. The colour of the Roma has two sources of inspiration: travertine stone and a creamy marble. Travertine is a limestone which the Romans used to give the beautiful outer appearance to their famous buildings such as the Colosseum, the Trevi fountain, and numerous renaissance and baroque churches. The marble in question is a pale shade of giallo antico, a foreign marble that the Romans imported from Numidia.
While the paint is still wet on Italian Love Affair, it is a labour of love and I am very much looking forward to sharing the completed painting with all of you.
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