Eric Estorick, London (acquired from the artist in 1951)
Acquired by the family of the present owner in the 1950s

Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum; The Hague, Gemeentemuseum; S. Gravenhage, Dienst voor Schone Kunsten & Bern, Kunsthalle, Campigli, 1955, no. 24, illustrated in the catalogue

The canvas is unlined and there is no evidence of retouching under ultra-violet light. Apart from some craquelure and some paint shrinkage in the areas of thicker impasto, this work is in good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration, although the pink and yellow tones are slightly warmer and stronger in the original.
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While living in Paris in the 1920s, Campigli came into contact with the rappel à l'ordre, the return to classicism as a s💦ource of inspiration championed by the artistic and literary avant-garde. With his natural predisposition for order as well as for the art of the past, Campigli adopted this contemporary current, and transformed it into a highly individual style of his own. The influence of past cultures is beautifully reflected in the present work: its flat, frontal depiction of the figures as well as the patterned backdrop is reminiscent of Byzantine mosaics and frescoes. The earthy palette of subdued tones of ochre, red and brown further evokes the technique of fresco painting. On the other hand, the head-dress of the woman on the left is reminiscent of Egyptian wall painting, which Campigli admired for its precisely delineated, geometric style. Depicting two women seated at a coffee table, dressed in contemporary clothes, the present work is a beautiful example of Campigli's wonderfully eclectic style combining the art of the past with his very own individual take on modern life.

 

Discussing the influence of avant-garde styles that surrounded Campigli during his formative years in Paris, Franco Basile wrote: 'Living in Paris at that time meant being set alongside the most profound and radical cultural changes of the age, and therefore being confronted and compared with artistic innovation of all kinds. From cubist transformations to Orphic passion, from purist ideals to constructions like tiny segments of light, as seen in the laminated arrangements of Seurat or Signac. It was an intense environment, in which one was expected to form one's own style within the most turbulent of European inspiration. Over the years Campigli had perfected his style, using an original technique, although derived from certain models which stood out against the panorama of the international avant-garde' (F. Basile, in Campigli (exhibition c🐽atalogue), Galleria Marescalchi, Bologna, 1992, p. 34).