What David Salle got his wife for Christmas

I tend to glamorize painters who can really write. There’s something of the complete artist about them. David Salle is one such painter. His collected essay collection, How to See, is a great gift. (For those who prefer picture books, try this one.)

David is—how do I put this—a famously elegant man. (This is a well-known fact. I don’t know him, really at all, but I’m confident on this point.) It’s on account of this personal quality of his that I felt compelled to interview him for the gift guide. I asked two questions: What's the most memorable gift you've ever received? What's the best gift you've given?