A l'ombre du campanile
1921
"A l'ombre du campanile" (In the Shadow of the Campanile) is an oil painting by Dutch Fauvist painter Kees van Dongen that captures a moment of leisure beneath the iconic bell tower, likely in Venice. The work exemplifies van Dongen's characteristic bold use of color and loose, expressive brushwork, with figures rendered in vibrant tones that prioritize emotional intensity over naturalistic representation. This composition reflects the artist's fascination with modern life and his ability to distill scenes of everyday experience into compositions charged with chromatic vitality.
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Location
- Phillips, Salt Lake City, UT
- Spotted At
- Auction House · PhillipsView on map
🔨 Auction Lot
Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale
March 6, 2025
Lot 19
Artists in conversation
Raoul Dufy
French · b. 1877
Dufy shared van Dongen's Fauvist roots and similarly painted vibrant Mediterranean leisure scenes with bold expressive color, loose brushwork, and a joyful celebration of modern urban life and architecture.
Henri Matisse
French · b. 1869
As a central figure in Fauvism, Matisse employed the same emotionally charged, non-naturalistic color palette and expressive figure rendering seen in this Venice scene, prioritizing mood and intensity over realistic representation.
Albert Marquet
French · b. 1875
Marquet painted atmospheric urban and harbor scenes with a similarly contemplative mood, using expressive yet restrained brushwork to capture figures beneath architectural settings with strong contrasts of light and shadow.
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