‘Black Tie and Tail’ by Victor Di Gesu, Paris, Louvre, Académie Chaumière, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Francisco Artist Assocation, Carmel

Stamped verso for estate of Victor Di Gesu (American, 1914-1988) and painted circa 1955.

A Post-Impressionist figural watercolor showing a young woman partially-clothed in evening wear and adopting a somewhat provocative stance.

Winner of the Prix Othon Friesz, Victor di Gesu first attended the Los Angeles Art Center and the Chouinard Art School before moving to Paris where he studied with Andre L’Hote and Yves Brayer at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. While in Paris, Di Gesu exhibited extensively, including at the Louvre, the Exposition des Artistes Étrangères, the Grand Palais of the Salon d’Automne and the Salon des Arts Décoratifs among other Parisian Salons. He subsequently attended Barcelona’s Escuela de Bellas Artes before furthering his studies in Rome at the Studio Hinna. Returning to California, Di Gesu worked beside notable American Modernists including F. Tolles Chamberlain and Maynard Jepson.

Already a gifted colorist, Di Gesu’s classical training combined with his scientific research into color theory, allowed him to create vivid yet harmonious works which, while reminiscent of Matisse and Gauguin, revealed a verve and spontaneity that remained uniquely his own. A prolific artist, Victor di Gesu was the recipient of numerous medals and juried awards, both in the United States and France. After his return to California, he continued to exhibit widely and with success, including at the San Francisco Museum of Art, Monterey Peninsula Museum of Art, the Carmel Art Association and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.