San Gimignano
While studying in Paris in the late 1850s, Vedder became disappointed with French academicism and decided to travel to Italy to study the work of the Italian masters. In Florence, he frequented the Caffè Michelangelo, where he met a group of young, predominantly Tuscan painters known as the Macchiaioli, who eschewed the formalism of the Accademia in favor of a more spontaneous, plein-air style inspired by nature. Vedder’s view of San Gimignano, a picturesque medieval hill town in Tuscany noted for its high bell towers, or campanili, reflects his association with the Macchiaioli and his enduring appreciation for the landscape of Italy, where he settled in the 1860s for the rest of his life.
Artwork Details
- Title: San Gimignano
- Artist: Elihu Vedder (American, New York 1836–1923 Rome)
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 13 7/8 x 10 3/4 in. (35.2 x 27.3 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of John V. Kiskis and Enza Tomassi Kiskis, in memory of Nadine Bretschneider Tomassi, 1996
- Object Number: 1996.433
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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