In memoriam: Ettore Spalletti (1940-2019)
The celebrated ‘painter of light’ has passed away aged 79
He was always ‘somewhat of an outlier in the story of 20th-century Italian art’, but the artist Ettore Spalletti, who died aged 79 after suffering a heart attack at his home in Spoltore on the afternoon of 11 October, according to Italian newspaper il Centro, was revered in Italy and celebrated abroad as the ‘painter of light’.
The artist leaves behind an indelible imprint on the collective conscience, in the signature palette of gentle blues, greys and pinks he used to slowly and methodically cover his sculptures and canvases. Applying layers of paint for up to 20 days, the resulting colours are not mutable, giving his works the ‘ability to transform any environment they inhabit’.
His practice was in keeping with the rhythm of his almost monastic life in Spoltore, Pescara, just five kilometres from Cappelle Sul Tavo – the town of his birth in 1940. Spalletti, unlike many internationally successful artists, never left Abruzzo. In a May 2016 interview with Wallpaper* (see W*206), Spalletti described sitting for hours watching the light move in his studio. Viewing his works — which often bathe the spectator in colour — recreates this effect of being suspended in time, watching clouds pass or rays of sun play their optical tricks.
As a man, Spalletti may have been contemplative and quiet, but that didn’t mean that as an artist he was detached. He was equally inspired by the people he met as he was by the mountains and the Adriatic coastline – landscapes that informed the atmosphere and light in his works, not unlike Turner, who Spalletti admired. There is an embracing warmth to his works, whether it’s strips of gold-leaf applied to the canvas or the fleshy-pink tones of columns that the artist says refer to the human figure.
Spalletti attended art school in Pescara and was active as an artist from the 1970s, though he took a different path to his arte povera peers. He was unique, but successful early on, participating in Documenta in 1982 and later in 1992, in Kassel, Germany, and exhibiting at the Venice Biennale four times between 1982 and 1997. His refined vocabulary and clean lines meant Spalletti was frequently aligned with American minimalists, including a 1993 exhibition with Haim Steinbach at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. In 2014 his importance in shaping the discourse of contemporary art in Italy was recognised in a major three-part retrospective that took place at the MAXXI, Rome; the Museo MADRE, Naples; and the Galleria di Arte Moderna, Turin.
Other important moments in Spalletti’s 40-year career included a 2004 solo exhibition at Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Art, and in 2005 at the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds. He was also commissioned, in collaboration with his wife, the architect Patrizia Leonelli, to convert a building at Villa Serena, Pescara, into a chapel, completed in 2016. Earlier this year, Spalletti was the subject of a retrospective at the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco.
Spalletti was known for his ‘good manners, a quiet voice and a light step’ – qualities he attributed to his love of poetry and literature. He will also be remembered for the sublime elegance of his works, their colours extending into the infinite.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Charlotte Jansen is a journalist and the author of two books on photography, Girl on Girl (2017) and Photography Now (2021). She is commissioning editor at Elephant magazine and has written on contemporary art and culture for The Guardian, the Financial Times, ELLE, the British Journal of Photography, Frieze and Artsy. Jansen is also presenter of Dior Talks podcast series, The Female Gaze.
-
Lavender Bay house opens towards the water, overlooking Sydney harbour
Lavender Bay house by Tobias Partners is an expansive family home overlooking Sydney harbour
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
David Lynch presents 'A Thinking Room' at the Salone del Mobile
Here's a first look at the David Lynch Salone del Mobile 2024 installation, a cinematic experience within the fair curated by Antonio Monda
By Laura May Todd Published
-
Riva El-Iseo is the legendary boat builder’s first fully-electric motor yacht
The Riva El-Iseo electric speedboat blends classic Italian lines with a silent, powerful and zero-emission powertrain
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Guglielmo Castelli considers fragility and violence with painting series in Venice
Guglielmo Castelli’s exhibition ‘Improving Songs for Anxious Children’ at Palazzetto Tito, Venice, explores childhood as the genesis of discovery
By Sofia Hallström Published
-
Remembering Richard Serra (1938-2024), American art’s man of steel
American artist Richard Serra, whose vast sculptures transformed landscapes around the world, has died aged 85
By Hannah Silver Published
-
‘Accordion Fields’ at Lisson Gallery unites painters inspired by London
‘Accordian Fields’ at Lisson Gallery is a group show looking at painting linked to London
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
In memoriam: photographer Brian Griffin (1948 – 2024)
Remembering British photographer Brian Griffin, we look back on his playful shoot for Wallpaper* May 2018
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Triennale Milano exhibition spotlights contemporary Italian art
The latest Triennale Milano exhibition, ‘Italian Painting Today’, is a showcase of artworks from the last three years
By Tianna Williams Published
-
In memoriam: Joe Tilson (1928 – 2023)
We remember British artist Joe Tilson, who brought a joyful riot of colour to the Pop Art scene
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Walls, Windows and Blood: Catherine Opie in Naples
Catherine Opie's new exhibition ‘Walls, Windows and Blood’ is now on view at Thomas Dane Gallery, Naples
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
In memoriam: Sex Pistols album artist Jamie Reid (1947 – 2023)
Jamie Reid was best known for his bold album artwork for the Sex Pistols
By Hannah Silver Published