Ludovico Cavaleri (Milan 1867 – Cuvio 1942)
Setting Sun in the Port of Savona, 1929
Oil on panel
Signed and dated lower right; signed, titled, and dated on the reverse
Dimensions: panel 155 × 172 cm; framed 190 × 210 cm
An imposing harbor view set in the port of Savona, captured at twilight when the setting sun sets the entire surface of the water and the architecture ablaze.
The composition is dominated by large merchant ships and tugboats, arranged along a perspective line that guides the eye toward the background, where the port city stands out, bathed in a golden, diffused light.
In the foreground, the harbor basin is animated by small boats and barges, whose dark silhouettes contrast with the dazzling reflection of the sunset. The sea transforms into a vibrant surface, traversed by intense orange and red glows that blend with brown and golden hues.
The brushstrokes are broad, energetic, and at times almost impasto-like, built through layers that convey the density of the atmosphere and the movement of the water.
The work bears witness to the transition from late Lombard naturalism toward more modern outcomes
In 1929, Ludovico Cavaleri reached full expressive maturity, in which the real-life setting of the industrial port becomes a pretext for an exploration of light and color. The “setting sun” is not merely a natural phenomenon, but a poetic element that transfigures the scene
