Serge Belloni (1925-2005), Venice, The Regatta On The Grand Canal, Oil On Panel, Circa 1970

Serge Belloni (1925-2005), Venice, the Regatta on the Grand Canal, oil on panel, circa 1970

Description:
Serge Belloni offers here an emblematic view of Venice: the Grand Canal on regatta day, with the dome of Santa Maria della Salute in the background. Gondolas and gilded ceremonial boats animate the canal, framed on either side by the sunlit façades of the palazzi.

The Regata Storica, held every year on the first Sunday of September, opens with a historical procession of boats crewed by oarsmen in period costume, followed by the gondola races. Belloni captures its liveliness with a quick, spontaneous brushstroke, in a soft, light palette of ochres, pinks, and pale blues that invites the eye to linger.

Known as "the painter of Paris," Belloni divided his time between two cities: Paris, which he liked to paint in autumn and early winter, when the bare trees reveal its architecture, and Venice, where he came to capture its singular light.

Our painting, signed "Serge Belloni" lower left, is presented in a carved giltwood frame.

Technique:

Oil on panel. Signed "Serge Belloni" lower left. Carved giltwood frame decorated with florets and foliate scrolls.

Dimensions:
Without frame: Height 11 13/16 in (30 cm), Width 15 3/4 in (40 cm)
With frame: Height 17 11/16 in (45 cm), Width 21 5/8 in (55 cm)

Condition:
In fine original condition.

Biography:
Serge Belloni (1925-2005), known as "the painter of Paris," was born in Piacenza, Italy, on February 25, 1925. The son of the upholsterer Luigi Belloni, he moved to Paris with his family in 1933 and studied at the École supérieure des Beaux-Arts. He held his first exhibition at the age of 21 and from then on devoted himself entirely to painting, working every day and in all weathers to capture the soul of Paris, and later that of Venice.

His stays in Holland allowed him to study the technique of the Old Masters, which he refined throughout his career. His works are held in collections around the world, from Paris to New York, from Milan to Moscow. He died in Menton on October 28, 2005.

Distinctions:
First Prize for Painting, Versailles (1949)
Marie Bashkirtseff Prize (1952)
Silver Medal and Vermeil Medal of the City of Paris (1980)

Collections:
Musée Carnavalet, Paris
Ca' Pesaro, International Gallery of Modern Art, Venice