Francesco Lojacono, (Italian, 1841-1915)

Sunlit grove

Sunlit grove
signed 'F. Lojacono' (lower right)
oil on canvas
60 x 99cm (23 5/8 x 39in).

Provenance
Private collection, Italy.

The distinctive Saracen olive trees of Sicily were a subject that Lojacono, a native of the island, returned to numerous times throughout his career, and the present lot is possibly one of these canvases. His love of the subject was evidenced by his breaks from commissions, to paint in the Sicilian fields, and his preference for this tree in particular, either by itself or within a grove, inspired a new stylistic language. Painted en plein air, the trees are often tenderly depicted - like human forms. Paintings of olive trees were submitted to exhibitions; for example Ulivi saraceni was included at the Venice Biennale in 1897.

Lojacono's paintings of olive trees convey a sense of stillness, as evidenced in the present lot. The majestic trees, captured with their natural veins, knots and tones are realistically depicted; yet set within a grove dappled with light, they are also poetic.