Painting Anghiari’s Scenic Loggia: Inspired by Paolo’s Tales | Original oil painting by Rupert Denyer

When we first arrived here, looking out from the kitchen window we would often see the same man every Saturday and Sunday, smoking cigars and he would frequently disappear.

An oil painting of a beautiful loggia in the heart of medieval Anghiari. Painted alla prima in oil paint. The shadow work of the arch is painted thinly for depth, the brushwork is open and lively. The arch of the loggia frames the buildings in the background which are painted in impasto. There are flowers and plants that add a touch of colour to this soft hued painting, made in a traditional oil painting style.

We asked a neighbour if they knew who he was. ‘Oh that’s Paolo, we were told he has a little musuem in the loggia, go and say hello’. And so one Saturday I went. At the back of this quiet loggia in the heart of Anghiari, lies a small museum dedicated to the life, migratory patterns and all things, ‘woodcock’. Paolo, the museum’s owner knows everything there is about these little birds. He travels the country and parts of the world lecturing on the subject. People travel from all over Italy to come and see him at the museum.

And so over the months I developed a friendship with him, providing coffee and cake on Sunday afternoon. It’s always a pleasure to speak together, he’s wise and thoughtful. He also speaks English, which is a welcome break from trying to speak in Italian (all the time) and not quite understanding everything. He knows his culture, both English and Italian and can bring a quote to mind when he needs to.

So this painting is a sort of homage to Paulo really… One afternoon We were deep in conversation and I remember looking back towards the entrance of the loggia, we were in the shadows and I thought what a lovely composition, the dark arch opening up to the light beyond and jumbled old buildings in the heart of the town. This particular location is one of the oldest in Anghiari and dates back to 1400.

I came back the next day, the light was dull due to the rain and all the colours were muted, save for the pop of bright red from the geraniums at the house opposite.

Oil paint is a beautiful medium to use and incredibly versatile. One of it’s great strengths is when it’s used thinly without any white. And this painting required dark areas. I’m always reminded of how dark one needs to paint shadows in order to make the light work.

The dark shadows were a mix of cobalt blue and burnt sienna which makes a warm black, I used this extensively at the beginning, but had to go back over them to keep the sense of darkness. It’s important to keep some movement in the shadows by keeping the brushwork irregular and the paint thin. If I were to paint the shadows with solid paint they would lack depth. There are many technical aspects to oil painting and plein air work, it takes time to know them.

I think the end result is a quiet intimate picture. The traditional techniques used to make it will give it longevity. It’s full of mystery but not sinister and asks to know more. What’s in the light area beyond. It’s very much like this across the whole town.

In fact Italy is a small country but has the highest number of UNESCO world heritage sites. I think China is second, which makes the point given the size of China – there are so many hidden gems to be discovered up and down this country if you just look or ask someone else who does.