“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi, most of them no bigger than a tea tray. Their thin browns, ashy grays, and muted blues made people speak softly to one another, as if a shouted word might curdle one of the paintings and ruin it. Bottles, carafes, and ceramic whatnots sat in his paintings like small animals huddling for warmth, and these shy pictures could easily hang next to a Picasso or Matisse without feeling inferior.”

American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician

Steve Martin is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. He is known for his work in comedy films, television, and recording, and he has been a major figure in American comedy across several decades. His honors include five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He was also nominated for eight Golden Globe Awards and two Tony Awards, and received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2005, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007, an Honorary Academy Award in 2013, and an AFI Life Achievement Award in 2015. In 2004, Comedy Central ranked him sixth on its list of the 100 greatest stand-up comics.