Description
Signed and dated '86, oil on canvas
Dimensions
127cm x 122cm (50in x 48in)
Footnote
Note: This painting is one of a group of four works by Alberto Morrocco offered which showcase his talent as a colourist, as well as his ability to structure a painting and build a strong composition. All four paintings offered (lots 80-83), though varying in their vibrancy of colour, demonstrate a strong commitment to its bold use, and the importance to Morrocco of complementary colour pairings. They also show his ongoing commitment to flattened form and simplified perspective.
The mood of Morrocco's works is celebratory; he regularly worked from sketches decades after the fact, allowing his colour to be guided by a sense of mood and memory, rather than nature. The vibrant colour that he developed into as he aged, seems to suggest happy memories and a strongly optimistic outlook, full of delight.
Morrocco travelled regularly and was vividly inspired by the birthplace of his parents and ancestors, Italy. Inspiration also came from the work from other painters Bonnard, Picasso and Braque and much earlier Italian artworks, with their emphasis on disciplined drawing and simplified colour. The inspiration of Picasso is particularly evident in this striking piece, 'Three Sisters of Lucca,' in the simplified, almost abstracted, facial features of the three women. This, combined with the bold colour and simplified composition, shows a clear development from the earlier piece, 'The Sicilian Cart;' (lot 80) a busier composition and more naturalistic approach, with textured surface and less bold colour.
Literature: Victoria Keller and Clara Young, Alberto Morrocco 1993, Ill.Pl.78 p.84