A heart-warming love affair is the subject of a new exhibition in London this April.
When renowned British landscape painter Chris Hall, a student at The Slade, was asked by a friend, to go on a painting holiday to Italy in 1954, he jumped at the chance. Little did he know that he would meet his future wife or that it would trigger a lifelong affair painting the landscape of this picturesque part of the world.
“My father was a travel writer and he asked an Italian friend if he could recommend anywhere for me to stay,” recalls Chris, 82, whose paintings of Italy are the subject of an exhibition at The Russell Gallery in Putney between March 21 and April 6.
“He introduced me to Recanati, a little known part of the country. Close to the place where we were staying lived this beautiful girl with whom I was instantly smitten. I later discovered that her name was Maria. She was the reason that I spent a good deal of my time learning Italian with her family. Three years later we were married and we’re still together, quite a record in this day and age. We have regularly visited Italy ever since, especially on family holidays.”
Sarah Russell, from The Russell Gallery, adds: “I have known Chris for over 30 years and worked with him at the New Grafton with David Wolfers, where Chris showed and had many one man shows. When I co-founded The Russell Gallery with my husband 10 years ago, I was keen to show Chris’s work. He has been with us ever since and has over 25 paintings of Recanati in the show. It is well worth a visit.”
Chris Hall’s paintings of Recanati can be seen at The Russell Gallery in Putney between March 21 and April 6.
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