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The Inspiration Behind The Painting
Discover the inspiration and creative process behind my painting The Luthier and its limited edition prints, inspired by my visit to Cremona.
The inspiration for this painting came from my travels around Italy, particularly my visit to Cremona, the historic heart of Italian violin-making. It was here that some of the most celebrated stringed instruments in history were created by the great families of Cremonese luthiers. Andrea Guarneri learned his craft in the workshop of Nicolò Amati and established a remarkable family tradition that culminated in the masterpieces of Giuseppe Guarneri “del Gesù.” Antonio Stradivari emerged from this same extraordinary world, drawing inspiration from Amati’s work before developing the distinctive instruments that would make his name legendary.
Stepping Inside the Luthier’s Workshop
Cremona is a beautiful city in its own right, but my most memorable experience came unexpectedly. As I walked along one of its streets, I glanced through a workshop window and saw a luthier absorbed in his work. I went inside, and he began explaining in Italian what he was doing. Thankfully, my Italian is much better these days, but even without words, his demonstrations revealed so much. What stayed with me most was the passion, energy and love with which he described his craft. He was surrounded by beautiful pieces of wood at every stage of their transformation, from their earliest shaping to instruments almost ready to sing. As someone who also plays a little cello, I was fascinated by how the smallest intricacies of the wood, construction and varnish contribute to an instrument’s voice. In painting The Luthier, I wanted to capture not only the rich textures of the workshop and the character of the craftsman himself, but also that deeply Italian atmosphere of artistry, tradition and creation. Like a compelling novel, I wanted the painting to draw viewers into its world, allowing them to imagine that they, too, had paused at that window and stepped inside.
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From Broad Strokes to Finished Form
With this painting, as with all my work, I began with large brushes to establish the fundamental colours, shapes and atmosphere of the composition. At this early stage, I am not concerned with detail. I am searching for the overall structure of the image and the feeling I want it to convey. I then begin building texture, initially using the same broad brushes before gradually moving to slightly smaller ones. Even then, the painting remains fundamentally a collection of shapes, tones and relationships. In the final three images, you can see me introducing finer brushes, although never anything excessively delicate. I eventually move to filbert brushes in three different sizes, which allow me to add all the definition I need while preserving the energy and texture of the paint. I never want a painting to become too detailed or overly polished. For me, its life lies in allowing the brushstrokes, shapes and materiality of the paint to remain visible.
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