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Lot Essay
On 24 June 1875, the young Vincent van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo: "A few days ago we received a painting by De Nittis, a view of London in the rain with Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament. Every morning and every evening I used to cross Westminster Bridge and I know what it is like when the sun fades behind the Abbey and Parliament, or in the early morning in winter with snow or in fog. Looking at the painting, I felt I loved London very much." (quoted in Giuseppe De Nittis, C. Beltramo, ed., exh. cat, Milan, 1990, p. 39). Although working for the dealer Goupil in Paris at the time, Van Gogh had previously worked in his employer's London gallery.
Van Gogh's comments bear strong witness to De Nittis' ability to evoke a powerful sense of atmosphere and shimmering movement, features that are also plainly evident in the present work. By depopulating the lower half of his composition of traffic, De Nittis has here exaggerated the reflective qualities of the rain on the street, turning it into a virtual lake that reflects the traffic and looming buildings above. The painting is, in fact, highly reminiscent of Claude Monet's later paintings of London. De Nittis, however, had more than a wish to explore ethereal visual effects: like James Tissot and Constantin Guys, he was very much what Charles Baudelaire would have described as a "painter of modern life", a facet of his work that is obvious in his depictions of fashionable society. Even here, the row of hansom cabs and figures dancing silently but quickly across the centre of the composition hints gently at the hustle and bustle of activity that underpins city life.
Like his French Impressionist contemporaries, De Nittis had rebelled against Academic teaching methods in his native Italy. He settled permanently in Paris in 1868, where he developed close relationships with artists who shared his beliefs, such as Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet and Gustave Caillebotte. Although the younger generations of Impressionists considered De Nittis to be too conservative, he struck a balance between the avant-garde and popular taste that brought him enormous commercial success, both in London and Paris.
This work is sold with a certificate signed by Enrico Piceni, dated July 1982 included.
Van Gogh's comments bear strong witness to De Nittis' ability to evoke a powerful sense of atmosphere and shimmering movement, features that are also plainly evident in the present work. By depopulating the lower half of his composition of traffic, De Nittis has here exaggerated the reflective qualities of the rain on the street, turning it into a virtual lake that reflects the traffic and looming buildings above. The painting is, in fact, highly reminiscent of Claude Monet's later paintings of London. De Nittis, however, had more than a wish to explore ethereal visual effects: like James Tissot and Constantin Guys, he was very much what Charles Baudelaire would have described as a "painter of modern life", a facet of his work that is obvious in his depictions of fashionable society. Even here, the row of hansom cabs and figures dancing silently but quickly across the centre of the composition hints gently at the hustle and bustle of activity that underpins city life.
Like his French Impressionist contemporaries, De Nittis had rebelled against Academic teaching methods in his native Italy. He settled permanently in Paris in 1868, where he developed close relationships with artists who shared his beliefs, such as Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet and Gustave Caillebotte. Although the younger generations of Impressionists considered De Nittis to be too conservative, he struck a balance between the avant-garde and popular taste that brought him enormous commercial success, both in London and Paris.
This work is sold with a certificate signed by Enrico Piceni, dated July 1982 included.