Paul Feiler (British, 1918-2013)
Italian Town, Spring
signed and dated 'FEILER 55' (lower left); further signed, titled and dated again 'PAUL FEILER/ITALIAN TOWN, SPRING/20.2.55' (verso); and signed again 'PAUL FEILER' (on the frame)
oil on board
45.4 x 65.8 cm. (17 7/8 x 25 7/8 in.)
Footnotes:
Provenance
Acquired by Mr Keith Steadman in the late 1950s, thence by family descent to
Private Collection, U.K.
Their sale; Bonhams, London, 18 November 2014, lot 156, where acquired by the present owner

Feiler visited Italy for three weeks in spring of 1953, returning for a second trip towards the end of the following year. Travelling with his wife June, and their three children (who were looked after by Paul's family in Bern) the couple toured through the northern lakes and onto the cities of Florence, Siena and Venice. These were working trips, with Feiler executing ten or so paintings in Italy on each occasion, and a similar number of Italian compositions in England following his return.

The application and construction of these works parallels his concurrently produced Cornish works, but the treatment of colour varies to a degree. As with his Cornish works, the time of day (dusk, evening, early morning and so on), or as in the case of the present work the season, is often stipulated by title, and informs the overall palette. To punctuate the general tones, Feiler would employ vibrant contrasting pigments to provide moments of highlighting and shadow. In the Cornish works these are often part of his underpainting process so that just the slightest flash of lemon or indigo edges through swathes of white, steel grey and black. However, in the Italian scenes, notes of contrasting crimson or cadmium orange are daubed upon the surface of the work and therefore remain prevalent within the composition. This effect defines this series and demonstrates Feiler's response to the highly saturated light of Italy.
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: AR
AR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.