Victor Di Gesu

'Woman Smoking a Pipe', Paris, Louvre, Salon d'Automne et Chaumière, LACMA, SFAA

Circa 1955

Victor di Gesu first attended the Chouinard Art School before moving to Paris, where he studied with André Lhote at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. He subsequently attended the Escuela de Bellas Artes in Barcelona before furthering his studies in Italy. Returning to California, he worked with a variety of artists, including F. Tolles Chamberlain and Maynard Jepson. An intuitive colorist, Di Gesu’s classical training and scientific research into color theory helped him create vivid yet harmonious works which, while reminiscent of Matisse and Gauguin, retained a verve and spontaneity that was uniquely his own. A prolific artist, Di Gesu was the recipient of numerous medals and juried awards, both in the United States and France. He was the winner of the Prix Othon Friesz Prize. He exhibited widely and with success, including at the Louvre Museum and the Exposition des Artistes Etrangeres in Paris, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.