Painting Description
Title: View of the Gulf (probable area of Lerici)
Artist: Giuseppe Caselli (Luzzara, 1893 – La Spezia, 1976) (signed lower left).
Technique: Oil on canvas
Period: Mid-20th century (ca. 1940-1950)
State of conservation: Good. The canvas has its original patina; slight signs of aging consistent with the era can be noted, which do not impair the enjoyment of the work. Mounted on original wooden frame and framed in a non-contemporary frame with fabric passe-partout.
Analysis of the work: The painting represents a suggestive coastal view, typical of Giuseppe Caselli's landscape production dedicated to the Gulf of Poets. The work is characterized by a textured and vibrant brushstroke, particularly evident in the rendering of the rocks in the foreground and the cliff overlooking the sea.
The composition plays on warm and twilight tones: the sky is suffused with shades of orange and yellow that are delicately reflected on the water's surface, rendered with horizontal and flat brushstrokes that instill a sense of deep tranquility. The vegetation, suggested with quick and dark touches, crowns the top of the hill, creating a strong chiaroscuro contrast with the luminosity of the horizon.
The style is that of Caselli's mature period, in which the legacy of Impressionism merges with a wholly Ligurian expressionist sensibility, capable of capturing not only the light, but the atmosphere and the harsh and romantic "character" of the landscape of La Spezia.
Dimensions: 88 x 69 cm with frame, 70 x 50 cm for the canvas.
Biographical Notes: Giuseppe Caselli (1893 – 1976)
Giuseppe Caselli is considered one of the greatest exponents of 20th century painting in La Spezia.
Formation: A pupil of Felice Del Santo and later of Angiolo Del Santo, he trained in a fervent artistic environment. He attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, coming into contact with the Tuscan avant-garde.
The experience of war: During the First World War he was taken prisoner and interned in the Mauthausen concentration camp. This dramatic experience profoundly marked his sensitivity, leading him to create a series of drawings and works of crude realism that document the lives of the prisoners.
The bond with the territory: Returning to La Spezia, he became the "painter of the Gulf". He actively participated in the cultural life of the city, exhibiting regularly and becoming a figure of reference for subsequent generations. In 1933 he participated in the famous "Premio del Golfo" conceived by Marinetti.
The style: Although he experimented with different phases (including a symbolic digression and one close to Futurism), Caselli is famous for his seascapes and landscapes. His painting is made of color and light, with a unique ability to interpret the villages of the Cinque Terre, the marble quarries and the docks of the port, always with a human and poetic touch.
Today Caselli's works are present in numerous public and private collections, and remain a fundamental testimony to the visual identity of the Riviera di Levante.
