Willering Epko Art

Lazzaro Donati (Italian, 1926-1977) Untitled (Abstract Woman), Mid-20th Century Oil on board 20 x 16 in. Framed: 25 3/4 x 21 7/8 in. Signed lower right Lazzaro Donati (1926-1977) was born in Florence in 1926 and attended the Academy of Fine Arts. He began to paint in 1953, and in 1955 held his first exhibition at the Indiano Gallery in Florence. Within three years eleven exhibitions followed in Italy, and as his reputation grew he was invited to give major exhibitions in London, Paris, New York, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo. He is considered one of the foremost contemporary Italian painters and his paintings hang in museums and private collections throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. Mr. Donati lived and worked at 24 Piazza Donatello in Florence, the square where generations of artists have created works worthy of the great Florentine tradition. As you entered the narrow hallway to his studio, a gilded life-size Venetian angel beckoned you to his door. Once inside, the present faded away and you found yourself in an atelier where early masters might have worked during the Renaissance. Within, luxurious Persian rugs set off the innumerable objects d'art and antique furnishings. Light poured in through the sloping glass wall on the north side. A dramatic stairway led to an overhanging balcony which served as a private gallery where the artist hung some of his favorite early works. To the left of the entrance was a smaller studio where Donati sculpted, with a window overlooking the famous old English cemetery where tourists laid flowers on the grave of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. In the main studio itself, where Donati received his clients in an atmosphere as polished as an office of a top executive, one hardly realized that it was here that the artist actually painted. His easel was covered with Persian blue velvet, the painting on the easel was already framed, his chair was upholstered in red velvet and on his palette the colors were arranged with the precision of a Byzantine mosaic. In a corner stand were his latest works, framed and ready to be sent off to his next exhibition in Europe or America. Donati was a born host with a warm welcome, an elegant man who possessed enormous charm a good nature and a keen sense of humor. Apparently shy, he preferred to speak on subjects extraneous to his art, purposely distracting you from his paintings, then leading you back to them, tactfully and without pretension. He spoke fluent French and English as well as some Spanish and German. "After all", he said, "you've got to know how to sell a painting to everyone." He had no sympathy for the "drip and splash" studios of his contemporaries, preferring to keep his studio tidy and spotless. "Painting is a matter of precision", he said, "If a painter can't put his paint where he wants it to go, I don't see how he can call himself a painter. For me it is absolutely necessary to control the paint." When asked to reveal the technique he used to achieve the enamel-like finish typical of his paintings he answered, "That is a secret between me and my butler. Actually, most of my paintings are done by him!" But in fact behind the façade, Donati was a serious craftsman who devoted to his painting as a way of life and means of expression. From the beginning of his career, his paintings revealed a striving for perfection and continual research in problems of style and technique. His early works indicated a momentary interest in surrealism and abstract art; they were predominantly two dimensional, depending on line and strong color. But by 1958, with his painting The Lady with a Fan...

Vintage American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Signed. Measuring: 19 by 23 inches overall, and 17 by 21 painting alone.. In excellent original condition. H...

Mostly White by Lu Haskew Floral Still Life Oil painting 24x20" image size 28x24" framed size Shipping price includes the custom packing necessary for safe transport of fine art. ...

Conditions : Excellent overall Conditions, minor chips on the left side to original period frame. Oil on canvas signed Trouillebert on the lower right. Certificate by Michel Rodrigue...

Lynn Gertenbach's "Ride at Golden Hills" is a remarkable oil painting that captures a serene moment of a lady riding a horse under a tree, surrounded by lush grass and vibrant scener...

A bold and imaginative semi-abstract oil painting by American artist Edward Marecak, depicting the mythological figures Zeus, Venus, and Hera in a richly symbolic and expressive comp...

Sunrise Colors The image measures 11 x 14 unframed and 17.75 x 20.75 framed signed LR Sunrise Colors is an impressionistic landscape plein air oil painting that I did on location in ...

Rocky Inlet, Monhegan, Maine Oil on canvas mounted on phenolic resin, c. 1940 Unsigned Signed with the estate stamp on the reverse (see photo) Condition: Excellent, recently cleaned ...

This is a lovely oil on canvas painting that was attributed to Charles Harold Davis when I purchased it about ten years ago. It is unfortunately not signed. The scene is a view throu...

A dramatic landscape by well-listed Pennsylvania artist Ira Deen. This is one of the largest and most lively of his works that I have ever seen. The scene depicts a late summer/early...

Conditions : Very good Conditions. Exhibition label. Provenance: Artist's family, atelier sale. Excellent condition under UV light with no prior restoration. Unframed Complementary ...

Beautiful impressionist oil painting on a hammered metal plaque. Some small losses in the painting. A wonderful addition to any collection.