Piazza di Spagna, Roma

Piazza di Spagna, Rome
oil on canvas board
24 x 30 cm
painted on location - Sunday 21 March 2010

€ 325



One of the most delightful Piazza's in Rome, featuring the famed Spanish Steps which are located just to the right of this scene. The fountain 'la barcaccia' (old boat), featured in the forground was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1627. It is ingeniously sunk below ground level to compensate for the low pressure of the delicious Acqua Vergine that feeds it. In 1870, over 400 painters lived and worked in the area around the Spanish Steps. It also atrracted poets and musicians, in fact just 15 meters from were I set up, can be found the house were John Keats lived and died in 1821, at the tender age of 25. Also just behind the sunlet building, is Via Margutta, which was the focus point of the 1960's art scene, and Federico Fellini lived here until his death in 1993.

Trevi Fountain, Rome (by night)

Fontana di Trevi, 's nachts.
oil on canvas board - 24 x 30 cm
painted on location - Sunday 21 March 2010
SOLD

As some of you may already have known, I went on a working vacation to the Eternal City of Rome, with 5 colleagues. We stayed in a comfortable apartment just a stones throw away from, Piazza del Popolo. Centrally located, a great find at an affordable price, when you take into consideration that just around the corner, on Via del Babuino is located Hotel de Russie, renting suites from 1,500-2,700 euro per night! This painting was made amongst a crowd of no less than 550 persons(probably more). All awe struck by the beauty and magnitude of this imposing marble structure, measuring 25.9 meters in hight, and 19.8 meters wide. Inspired by a design from Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the final version, was built by Nicola Salvi, in the 18th century, taking some 30 odd years to complete (1732 - 1762). The central figure, set in the niche, is Oceanus, God of all water, (figure on the extreme right of painting). He is flanked on his right, by the Goddess, Abundance, who is spilling water from an urn. There are a multitude of figures and creatures from both land and sea featured in this extravagant fountain. But what's even more empressive is the thundering sound of water one sees and hears. In fact nothing else, in the stifling heat of a Roman summer, gives such a feeling of sensual delight as the abundant, splashing, cool water. If you don't believe me, ask Anita Ekberg, she made this fountain famous when she plunged in wearing a strapless black evening dress in Federico Fellini's classic La Dolce Vita.

Il Duomo di Catania, Sicilia

St. Agatha's, The Cathedral of Catania, Sicily
oil on canvas board - 24 x 30 cm
painted on location - Thurs 8 Oct 2009 

On Sicily’s east coast, Catania has been the prize of a stream of empires over the centuries, from Greeks to Romans to Arabs to Normans to Spaniards, to name just a few. But more devastating than invaders has been the city’s geography: It lies at the foot of Mount Etna, Europe’s largest and most active volcano, which completely destroyed the city with earthquakes and lava flows in 1693. Afterward, it was rebuilt in the baroque style (with creative use of lava) for which it’s today famous. It is also known as, "the black city". This is due to the fact that the streets/sidewalks and many of the monumental buildings were made of the readily available lava stone, which of course is black. The Piazza Del Duomo is a World Hertiage Monument, thus it is protected. But of course Mount Etna has its own rules, and when she decides, nobody can stop her! Thus because of this city, Horace, the Greek Philosoper was inspired to write the saying, Carpe Diem . Which translates to, seize the day , (trusting as little as possible in the future.)


A picture of the subject, taken shorly after I finished my painting, which I started late in the afternoon.