by Fr. Marius Zerafa
Series of art lectures
The image on the left depicts a painting by De Nittis, Street Scene, currently in the Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta.
De Nittis was a leading figure in the Italian School of the Macchaiaoli but also worked with the French Impressionists in Paris.
A little known discovery by Leonardo contained in a note in his notebooks is the theory of primary and complimentary colours. Following on the lecture on Leonardo of the 14th February, Fr Zerafa will try to trace out the full use, centuries later, of this theory by the Impressionists, the neo impressionists and the post Impressionists, movements that would eventually lead to abstract art.