Carlo Levi Original Vintage Italian Hillside Village of Eboli Italy Expressionist Landscape Oil Painting
Original oil on canvas Italian hillside village, (in Eboli, Italy), landscape by contemporary Italian expressionist artist, Carlo Levi, (1902-1975). The painting is a beautiful blend of bright colors, and measures approximately 28" X 40". The canvas has a few tiny pinholes of degradation of the canvas that are very small, scattered, and viewable when the painting is held against the light. All paint is in overall stable and good condition with no issues or flaws, and the painting is signed in the lower left corner. The painting is in its original condition and has not been restored. All paint present is original to the painting.
Carlo Levi (November 29, 1902 – January 4, 1975) was an influential Italian painter, writer, activist, and doctor. He is best known for his book Cristo si è fermato a Eboli (Christ Stopped at Eboli), published in 1945, which recounts his exile in Lucania (Basilicata) due to his anti-fascist activities. The book, which highlighted the severe poverty in southern Italy, was adapted into a film by Francesco Rosi in 1979.
Early Life Levi was born in Turin to Ercole Levi, a wealthy Jewish physician, and Annetta Treves, sister of socialist leader Claudio Treves. He graduated from Liceo Alfieri in 1917 and earned a medical degree from the University of Turin in 1924. During his university years, he developed a passion for political activism, inspired by his friend Piero Gobetti. Levi's artistic talent was recognized early, leading to his participation in the XIV Venice Biennale soon after graduation.
Despite his medical career, Levi was deeply committed to art. He served as an assistant at the University of Turin's Clinic while studying hepatopathy and diseases of the bile tract. Concurrently, he continued his art studies in Paris, mingling with notable figures like Sergei Prokofiev, Igor Stravinsky, Alberto Moravia, and Giorgio de Chirico.
Political Activism and Exile In 1929, Levi co-founded the anti-fascist movement Giustizia e Libertà with Carlo and Nello Rosselli. He also joined the "Gruppo dei Sei" (Group of Six) painters in Turin. His activism led to his arrest and exile to the remote towns of Aliano and Grassano in Lucania from 1935 to 1936. There, he witnessed extreme poverty and worked as a doctor for the villagers while continuing to paint.
After his release, Levi moved to France (1939-1941) before returning to Italy. He was arrested again in Florence and imprisoned but was released following Mussolini's downfall. During this period, he wrote Cristo si è fermato a Eboli.
Post-War Career After World War II, Levi moved to Rome and became the editor of L'Italia Libera, the publication of the Partito d'Azione. He continued writing and painting, with notable works including L'Orologio (The Watch, 1950), Le parole sono pietre (Words Are Stones, 1955), and Il Futuro ha un Cuore Antico (The Future has an Ancient Heart, 1956). Levi was elected to the Italian Senate in 1963 and re-elected in 1968, serving until 1972.
Levi died of pneumonia in Rome on January 4, 1975, and is buried in Aliano. His final work, Apollo and Daphne, was completed on a goatskin drum the day he was hospitalized.
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