Guiseppe De Nittis (1846-1884) was born in Barletta, Italy, a port on the Adriatic Sea. He became an orphan at age ten and was raised by his older brother. He attended the Realist Institution de Bella Art in Naples beginning in 1861. He was expelled in 1863, and he said “I became my own sole master.” He pursued plein-air painting and he began exhibiting in Turin in 1867, and in that same year, he moved to Paris. He visited London for the first time in 1873. De Nittis saw the two cities with fresh eyes and immediately began to paint what he saw. He was befriended by Manet and Degas, who introduced him to the developing style of Impressionism. De Nittis’s style became a combination of Realism and Impressionism as he depicted the cultural sites of his time. His work was in demand.
“The Serpentine, Hyde Park” (1874-77)
De Nittis and his wife Leontine made annual trips to London beginning in 1874. London banker Kaye Knowles became a patron, and he commissioned ten paintings. He willed these to the National Gallery in London, to insure De Nittis’s work would be well represented. “The Serpentine, Hyde Park” (1874-77) (11”x14”) is a depiction of the forty-acre artificial lake Queen Caroline commissioned in 1730 as an addition to the park Henry VIII established in 1536. The Serpentine Lake became one of the most popular attractions for royals and commoners alike.
De Nittis’s combination of Realism and Impressionism is evident in the painting. The dark trunks of the trees at the front are painted realistically, as are the spring green and yellow leaves on the trees. The wide lawn stretching back to the lake is painted a soft, grassy green.
The Serpentine Lake, midway in the composition, is where the visible brushwork and colors of Impressionism take over. The visitors in the park are represented by dots and dashes of paint. De Nittis carefully composed the water that sparkles in the sunlight and the reflections from the trees. Artistry, not accuracy was the intention. The Serpentine Bridge, built for carriages to enter the Park, like the trees was painted a soft blue-gray color. The sky and clouds are painted in the manner of the Impressionists with the complementary colors of blue and orange.
“Elegant Women in Hyde Park, London” (1876)
De Nittis painted “Elegant Women in Hyde Park, London” (1876) (17”x13”) in a realistic style. Like his friend Manet’s early works, it was concentrated on the beautiful people elegantly dressed. In the height of fashion, the ladies wear blue and light orange striped dresses. They are high-waisted with cascading layers of ruffles. The shoulders of the dresses are softly sloped, and the necks are low, allowing for the display of choker necklaces. No longer tied under their necks, hats are perched at an angle atop high, curled hairstyles.
Hyde Park was created for entertainment. Carriage and horseback rides and strolling were only some of the activities. In the 18th Century, Hyde Park was the location for 172 duels. It was the site of the Great Exhibition of 1851, where England showed the latest developments in engineering, science, and art. The exhibition was housed in the Crystal Palace, designed by the architect Joseph Paxton and constructed of iron and glass.
“Palace of Westminster” (1878)
“Palace of Westminster” (1878) (43’’x76’’) illustrates that De Nittis was equally accomplished when chose to embrace Impressionism, albeit with just a touch of Realism. He creates two diagonals in the painting: Westminster Bridge at the lower right and the Houses of Parliament at the center. The onlookers on the bridge are London commoners. All wear trousers and jackets which would have been made of heavy course fabric and bowler hats, popular among the working class in the 19th Century. The woman with the child wears a dark dress, a white apron, and a scarf tied around her head. They were the clothes of the working class.
At sunset, the workers on the bridge have stopped to rest on their way home. The rosy pinks and oranges of the sunset are reflected in the blue-gray water of the Themes River. The Houses of Parliament were rebuilt by architects Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin after the destructive fire in October 1834. The details of the Gothic Revival style of the Houses of Parliament are obscured by fog. De Nittis displays the two famous towers. The square Victoria Tower, 323 feet tall, at the left, was designed by Barry to resemble a castle keep. At the far right, the Elizabeth Tower, more commonly called Big Ben, 315 feet tall, was designed by Pugin. The five bells in the belfry strike the Westminster Chimes every quarter hour. De Nittis has included the smaller towers: the Central Tower, 299 feet tall, and the two smaller towers, one for the speaker of the House of Commons, and the other for the Lord Chancellor.
“The National Gallery and St Martin’s Church in London” (1878)
De Nittis captured in paint all the important London landmarks. In “The National Gallery and St Martin’s Church in London” (1878) (32×44) his style of Realism is on display. The façade of the National Gallery, at the left side of the canvas, is the same one that visitors see today. It was open to the public in 1838. Londoners of all types stroll along the wide sidewalk. Men and women of fashion, children with their parents, some walking and some in strollers, a grandmother, carriages, and placard carriers advertising a variety of items are part of a bustling, busy, and interesting street scene.
St Martin-in-the-Fields Church is located at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square. De Nittis places the church at the center of the composition. This Anglican church marks the center of London, and it is said to be the most famous church in London. A church was located on this site in 1222 and was rebuilt by Henry VIII in 1552. Scots architect James Gibbs rebuilt the church in 1726. He unexpectedly decided to return to the classical style of Greece and Rome rather than the then-popular Gothic Revival style. The façade has a grand set of stairs and six massive Corinthian columns that are topped by a Greek pediment.
The spire, set behind the pediment, was unique. Composed of three separate sections, two square and one round, it rose to a high peak. Gibbs’s design got mixed reviews when the church was built, but St. Martin-in-the-Fields became the most popular church in London, and the design has been copied in many places, including colonial American churches.
“In the Fields Around London” (1881)
De Nittis’s friend Degas invited him to participate in the first Impressionist exhibition in1874. De Nittis showed five paintings, but they were poorly displayed. De Nittis did not show with them again. However, his use of the Impressionist style continued. “In the Fields Around London” (1881) (18”x21.5’’) is an example. Women and children lounging in a field of flowers was a popular theme. The white summer dresses show the blue and orange shadows created by sunlight. The shaded grass is a combination of dashes of green, blue, and purple. The fields of flowers are rich with red and green brush strokes. The narrow background of green fields and trees is painted in a realistic manner, but that does not affect the viewer’s pleasure at witnessing this bright sunny day.
“If one day my son were to ask me where to find happiness, I would answer: in painting.” (Giuseppe De Nittis)
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