'Seated Nude' by Victor Di Gesu, Louvre, Academie Chaumiere, Carmel, California, San Francisco Art Association, Los Angeles County Museum of Art

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Painted by Victor Di Gesu (American, 1914-1988) circa 1955 and stamped, verso, with Victor di Gesu estate stamp.

A haunting … Read more Painted by Victor Di Gesu (American, 1914-1988) circa 1955 and stamped, verso, with Victor di Gesu estate stamp.

A haunting and atmospheric figural watercolor showing a young woman seated and gazing directly towards the viewer. Di Gesu has taken full advantage of the distressed and crumpled paper support to both emphasize depth and to reinforce subtle nuances of shading.

Winner of the Prix Othon Friesz, Victor di Gesu first attended the Los Angeles Art Center and the Chouinard Art School before moving to Paris where he studied with Andre L’Hote and Yves Brayer at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. While in Paris, Di Gesu exhibited extensively, including at the Louvre, the Exposition des Artistes Étrangères, the Grand Palais of the Salon d'Automne and the Salon des Arts Décoratifs among other Parisian Salons. He subsequently attended Barcelona's Escuela de Bellas Artes before furthering his studies in Rome at the Studio Hinna. Returning to California, Di Gesu worked beside notable American Modernists including F. Tolles Chamberlain and Maynard Jepson.

Already a gifted colorist, Di Gesu’s classical training combined with his scientific research into color theory, allowed him to create vivid yet harmonious works which, while reminiscent of Matisse and Gauguin, revealed a verve and spontaneity that remained uniquely his own. A prolific artist, Victor di Gesu was the recipient of numerous medals and juried awards, both in the United States and France. After his return to California, he continued to exhibit widely and with success, including at the San Francisco Museum of Art, Monterey Peninsula Museum of Art, the Carmel Art Association and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. See less