Picture title: Portrait of Antonio
Macri, painter, Ischia. 1979.
Oil on canvas. Size: 31-1/2" x 23-5/8" (80cm x 60cm). Sold Note: The photograph of the painting is out of focus, and is not
true to the painting's colour subtlety. Antonio Macri was himself a painter and ran a small hotel in Ischia
Porto. His canvases
can be seen on the walls of the portrait above. He gave me use of
a villa in another
part of the island over the winter period of 1979, and in exchange I
painted his portrait.
Antonio was a quiet man and had never shown any of his paintings in
public. My visit to the island inspired him to make a journey to
northern Italy to try and arrange an exhibition of his works. When I
spoke to him about it later, to enquire how it all went, he said
that once he was up there he lost the courage to pursue it further,
as it was 'all too big' and oppressive.
