A Tradition of Beauty: The Southern Italian Coast

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GIUSEPPE DE NITTIS (Italian 1846-1884) "VIEW OF POMPEII"

GIUSEPPE DE NITTIS (Italian 1846-1884) "VIEW OF POMPEII" oil on panel, signed lower right "de Nittis" 3 ½” h x 7” w

From the 15th to the 18th centuries, land ownership in Southern Italy was widely disputed. During that time, Naples, the seat of the South, being ruled by Spain, flourished; evidenced by the emergence of a school of painting influenced by Caravaggio. The political and cultural identification of the South varied widely to that which was expressed in Rome and throughout the North – projecting a strong connection to the papacy.

While the 19th century saw greater political unification of the territories throughout Italy, the tendency to identify as Southern or Northern remains to this day. The South reflects a quiet, slow lifestyle that prioritizes familial communities over urbanization, while the North functions much more like a bustling contemporary city centre. Vacations away from the city to the beautiful southern centres, particularly the Amalfi coast, continue to be a favourite across the nation.

Throughout the month of July we will be featuring 18th and 19th century paintings that highlight the landscape and culture of Southern Italy.

Included among the painters exhibited are Giuseppe de Nittis, Hans Anderson Brendekilde, Peder Monsted and various unidentified painters.

Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am to 5pm or by appointment. The first building on the south end of the Granville Street Bridge at the beginning of South Granville’s Gallery Row, 2117 Granville Street, phone 604-736-8825

www.langmann.com. (Wheelchair accessible)