“Il festone di vite”, painted between 1890 and 1893 by Luigi Bertelli, is an oil on canvas that fully belongs to the artist’s mature period. Bertelli is recognised as a central figure in Emilian landscape painting between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. During these years, he developed a naturalistic vision attentive to light and everyday life, often inspired by the countryside around Bologna.
The painting depicts a female figure along a tree-lined path, captured in a moment of quiet contemplation while holding a red parasol that becomes the focal point of the composition. However, the scene is not narrative in a strict sense. Rather, the artist’s interest lies in the atmospheric rendering and in the relationship between figure and landscape. Furthermore, the spatial structure is organised through a skilful alternation of filled and open areas, with the avenue guiding the viewer’s gaze into depth.
From a stylistic perspective, “Il festone di vite” displays the dense and richly textured brushwork characteristic of Luigi Bertelli production, capable of rendering vegetation through rapid and layered strokes. As a result, the landscape is not described in detail but suggested through colour fields and variations of light, conveying a strong sense of immediacy and naturalness.
Description: Oil on canvas, bearing on the reverse a label from the Celebratory Exhibition of the Painter Luigi Bertelli, Bologna, October 1946, with title and provenance, a label from the Exhibition of Nineteenth-Century Emilian Painters, Bologna, 25 September – 15 November 1955, and a collection label, H cm 60×45.
Exhibitions: Celebratory Exhibition of the Painter Luigi Bertelli, Bologna, October 1946, organised by the Associazione Francesco Francia; Exhibition of Nineteenth-Century Emilian Painters, Bologna, 25 September – 15 November 1955.
Publications: V. Montanari e A. Bettini, “I dipinti ad olio di Luigi Bertelli”, Bologna, Grafis Edizioni, 1984, p. 232-233, img. 110.
Provenance: Cinti Bianchini Collection, Bologna.
Hammer Price: € 5.500,00
Auction 67 – January 24th 2024 – Bolognese Collections – 19th and 20th century paintings
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