ULVI LIEGI (LUIGI LEVI) (1858 - 1939)

A VILLAGE IN THE FOOTHILLS, ITALY signed and dated lower left Ulvi Liegi 1913 oil painted on two boards 47 x 88cm. / 18½ x 34½in. Luigi Levi used the anagram Ulvi Liegi as an artist. Born in Livorno, Liegi trained and worked in Florence where he studied with Adolfo Tommasi (1851-1933), Carlo Marko (1822-1891) and Giuseppe Ciranfi (1838-1902) at the Accademia dei Belle Arti. During his lifetime, Liegi became well associated with the rising stars of his age. He was a frequent visitor to Giovanni Fattori's (1825-1908) studio in the early 1880s and the two became firm friends for many years. A pivotable moment in their friendship, was Liegi's commission for Fattori to paint what would go on to be the artist's finest paintings; 'Ploughing'. When it came to his own work, Liegi was encourage by Giuseppe Signorini (1857-1932) to paint the outdoors thus influencing much of Liegi's earlier work. After travelling to Paris and familiarising himself with the Impressionists and their work, he crossed the Channel to study the work of the Pre-Raphaelites where he became acquainted with James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) . After his travels, Liegi returned to Florence and joined the circle of artists and writers who frequented the Caffe Michelangiolo, which became famously associated during the nineteenth century Wars of Italian Independence as a major meeting place for writers, artists and for patriots and political exiles from surrounding Italian states.