Rodolfo Gentili - Sailing Ships of the 18th Century

Paintings depicting sailing ships or boats can be considered genre scenes, which depict an episode of everyday life that, apparently, lacks any significant element. In particular, the depiction of simple sailing ships or other vessels, outside the historical context of a naval battle, began in the 17th and 18th centuries, influenced by travel and exploration of new continents. This type of subject also fits within the broader theme of the navy, a recurring theme among artists. First, because of the lyricism implicit in views overlooking the sea or romantic images of small ports. Second, because the depiction of aquatic surfaces allows painters to give free rein to their chromatic flair, thanks to refined interplays of reflections and reverberations.

The artist Rodolfo Gentili stands out for his landscape and genre paintings, in which he seeks distinctive views, imbued with a distinctive lyricism. Hence his penchant for picturesque views and evocative framing. Formally, this translates into an extremely lively and dynamic pictorial style that ensures freshness and immediacy of execution. His brushstrokes are therefore characterized by a decidedly cursive touch, made up of sudden flickers, effectively capturing the vibrations of light on objects. This is especially evident in the execution of tonal transitions that measure space and the variations of light when he depicts vegetation or the reflections reverberating in bodies of water. All of Rodolfo Gentili's compositions are imbued with a calm naturalism and a freshness deriving from the artist's technical prowess.

Rodolfo Gentili was born in Macerata in 1937 and passed away in Ancona in 2005. His first solo exhibition was in Macerata in 1957. Driven by critical and public acclaim, he continued with a series of exhibitions until 1962, when he was featured in a solo show at the St. Martin's Gallery in London. From 1964 onwards, he participated in another important series of solo and group exhibitions, both in Italy and abroad. Gentili's career includes the portrait of President John F. Kennedy and the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the former at the White House along with another work depicting a bouquet of flowers dedicated to the then First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and the latter at the British Royal Family, both executed in 1962. The painter corresponded with both, as well as with Napoleon's descendants: the Murats, for whom the painter executed watercolors depicting war scenes.

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