This oil painting by an unknown artist is a strong example of a Victorian landscape. A thatched roof with plenty of character and too unruly for straight lines. A modest mother and child, off-center and not interested in being the focus of attention. The unhitched wagon, the open front door, the sense of daily activities ongoing, and the closeness of the house, clipped by the left and right margin, gives an intimate yet homely perspective.

The work is old, dating back to pre-1900s, and the artist used a prepared board with gesso, which unfortunately cracked with water damage and in some places broke away. The first step was to stabilize and clean the board, and then in-fill where part of gesso had been lost. Topical repairs were then carried out with in-painting and consolidation of the surface. Restoration concluded with a custom Dutch frame with a high front and dark panel.

A fundamental principle of landscape painting is scene composition. Over the course of several months, while we have tackled the Olendorf (1924-1996) collection, there is a trait of his work that we have been enamored by. Pictures in pictures might be the best way to describe it. We wanted to offer a case study.

In this picture you’ll notice dynamic contrast. This is achieved through the opposing colors of the principle elements: the two cars, the white building, the brown horse, the flecks of brown and yellow flowers on the second floor balcony. This a rich and dynamic scene.

Scanning to the other side of the landscape you’ll see the same red car, but now there’s a pink car tucked behind a pair of trees. With only one person in this picture it’s as if the time of day has completely changed, and things are much quieter and much slower.

Pull back a little to this picture and you’ll see the building in full view, along with the people, and a touch of blue sky. But the focal point, where the color has the most emphasis, becomes the red car. From it there is a strong vertical line going straight up to the flag, the apex of the roof, and the blue sky. A height is given to man, his achievements, and his direction. And it is balanced by the natural growth of the trees framing the left third. The theme of man versus nature is at its strongest in this picture.

Now pull back to the full image and suddenly the dirt foreground and the presence of the horse completely change the dynamics. From a forrest, man has etched out a little trade store, and this transition period is still underscored by the different transportation modes: the cars and the horse. The emphasis of the red car drops a bit with the inclusion of the horse, and what you’re left with is something that is not yet defined, something in flux and change. You have an oasis. A little reprieve. Something off the beaten path. Something unique. Something with the charm of Olendorf.

Lush color and tall architecture are hallmarks of the Olendorf style (1924-1996) that here take the form of Zoagli, a commune in the province of Genoa. Known for tourism, Zoagli is near the Cinque Terre region which translates to “Five Lands” and offers small yet dramatic coastal towns, a year-round pleasing climate, and beautiful landscapes, traits that led to its inclusion in the Unesco World Heritage list. Not until the 19th century, when rail and roads connected Zoagli, did it bloom into a tourist spot, first attracting the Swiss and English. Unfortunately it was the site of WWII bombing raids that destroyed the center of the town but was then rebuilt and named “XXVII December” in honor of the first raid. Further back in its history, it was infamously pillaged by Saracen pirates led by the famed Dragut, who one French admiral described as “a living chart of the Mediterranean.” In response, Zoagli constructed a pair of towers to bolster its defenses. They continue to stand and were recently restored. One belongs to the Genoese Patrician Villas, and the other belongs to City Hall which can be used to hold marriage ceremonies.