CARLO BOSSOLI Lugano, 1815 - Turin, 1884 Sails on the coast with a rainbow over the city of Alicante Signed C Bossoli and dated 1882 lower right Oil on canvas, 75.5X135.5 cm Provenance: Turin, Fogliato Art Gallery Turin, private collection Exhibitions: Proposte 2015 Dal primo'800 al primo'900, Galleria Aversa, Turin 2015, Tav. II Bibliography: A Peyrot, Carlo Bossoli, Turin 1974, Vol I p. 259 Table 561 The charming view of Alicante, a lively port city on the Costa Blanca, is crossed by a bright rainbow, while boats with unfurled sails plough through the stormy waves of a deep blue sea. The work, executed in 1882, belongs to the most brilliant period of Carlo Bossoli's art. The construction of the seascape is set with a sure hand, while the colour palette is balanced and enhanced by the light pinkish light that is one of the painter's most distinctive features. Bossoli, a refined draughtsman and painter from his earliest days, was particularly appreciated for his views of the Crimean Peninsula on the Black Sea, painted under the patronage of Princess Voroncova, wife of the Governor of Southern Russia, who encouraged him to perfect his artistic skills in Italy. He was also a very talented set designer, capable of a creative happiness that won over the public of his time. Moving with his family to Odessa around 1820, he found employment in a library, where his interest in drawing was born: here he refined his ability to depict views and panoramas, subjects he would cultivate throughout his life, achieving lasting success and international recognition.