221. LIGHT IN THE FOREST by WALTER BONI

 Light in the Forest, Watercolour, 46 x 32 cm

ITALIAN LYRICS ON PAPER

28 Cork St until April 20th

This collection of watercolour paintings represents a pastoral image of the Padana Valley, a region 70 miles north of Florence. The artist, who is from Modena, has had solo and group exhibitions in Italy but has not shown his work before in England. Boni's paintings are both delicate and passionate, calm and joyful, with a deep emotional commitment to the beauty which surrounds him. 

Autumn Vines, Watercolour, 46 x 32 cm

He describes England as the home of watercolour. It's true:the spread of its use in the 18th century not only brought aesthetic pleasure but was also useful for surveyors, mapmakers, archaeologists, military officers, geologists and engineers. Then photography changed everything, especially when someone invented the Box Brownie. A camera, which used to cost a month’s salary at the turn of the century, was now within the reach of the masses and they made the most of it.  They say that even Queen Alexandra’s portable box of watercolour paints gathered dust.

Meanwhile, in the 19C three English artists are credited with establishing watercolour as an independent, mature painting medium: Paul Sandby,Thomas Girtin and J.M.W. Turner. Later its popularity fell into decline.

Boni's beautiful, exhilarating  and joyous paintings remind us of what we are missing .

www.aquerelliwalterboni.it