The Light of Southern Italy

A carefully selected exhibition curated by Marco Bertoli, The Light of Southern Italy highlights artists from across Italy’s southern regions including Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, and Sicilia. Mastering light and chromatic effects, these painters created landscapes, seascapes, genre scenes, and portraits of great beauty.

Filippo Palizzi, Gli Scavi di Pompei

The intensity of the Mediterranean light in these images accompanies the viewer throughougt the Pompeii excavations, the grandeur of Vesuvius, the rugged coastline, and the humble allure of the local people.

“This remarkable exhibition showcases 27 Italian artists with 34 paintings ranging in subjects from seascapes and landscapes, to large-scale figural scenes of everyday life, and compelling portraits to name a few,” says curator Marco Bertoli. “All of the paintings come from important private collections. And while some have been exhibited before, others are being presented to the public for the first time.”

The Light of Southern Italy is the first exhibition bringing together Italian artists from the 19th century and specifically from the Naples school. Why focus on this period? “Despite the fact that it is not well known in the United States,” the curator explains, “this is an extremely productive, diverse, and beautiful period of Italian artistic production—and we are eager to celebrate it!”

Pleased to be in partnership with the Italian Cultural Institute of New York in this endeavor, Marco Bertoli feels confident that the public will be excited and intrigued to learn more about this portion of Italy’s artistic heritage, particularly as it focuses on the southern regions, which are often overlooked in favor of art from the northern part of the country.

“American viewers, who are for the most part unfamiliar with the artistic production of southern Italy, will love to see its beauty and value, especially the many Italian Americans who have ancestral ties to this area and to this particular period—which marks the beginning of the great wave of Southern Italian emigration.”

This exhibition received generous support from Eataly; IFIM S.p.A., Milan; Santa Lucia Natural Spring Water; Gtech; IMA S.p.A, Bologna; and Luxury Living New York.