to think that if you don't want to tell someone something, you shouldn't hint at it?

[Theicingontop]

We were visiting OH's grandmother with my FIL last week. I pointed to a lovely hand painted canvas on her living room wall, and commented to her on how lovely it was. It was a silhouette of a butterfly on a warm brown background.

FIL tells me it was a gift from him, and that it was painted by a friend of his. He goes on to talk about how it had a very special meaning behind it, something really unique and unexpected.

So I say "Oh, could you explain it then?"

He looked at me like I had two heads, and said he couldn't possibly tell me, it's far too personal. And walked off.

...Am I being unreasonable to think that if you don't want to tell someone something, don't talk it up first and then go cold? In my experience, when you're talking about a painting, it's quite normal to get to know the story behind it...

Really not important, I know, just feel a bit embarrassed and confused by his weird reaction. AIBU?

The story may have been more embarrassing for you. At my MILs funeral my FIL alluded to something and was pressed further about it and then launched into a very highly mortifying story about the first time they had sex, no-one could leave the room for fear of offending him and no-one told him to stop it, but it was bloody awful. Sometimes you are better off not knowing.

I agree - if he didn't want to tell you he should have stopped at 'a friend painted it', - hinting at something mysterious and personal then going all huffy when asked about it is attention seeking and silly.

Perhaps he wants to be thought of as a 'man of mystery' - when in reality it was probably painted by the consultant who sorted his piles.