Italian letters
1987
‘We were invited to dinner at the baker’s. He wore his traditional baker’s cap throughout the meal’
21/01
Renato Guttoso, the communist artist (dreadful paintings) but Italy’s very own, has died. President, Prime Minister, Cabinet, all signed book at his house, attended public meeting in Piazza del Pantehon, and then went to church. President’s personal airliner transported coffin to Guttoso’s home in Sicily. One thought about the British obsequies for someone like Nicholson! (I forgot to say that the body – corpse – was laid out overnight in the Senate. Admittedly, Guttoso had been a Senator.)
Have to take a few pictures to Parkin Gallery for Chicago Arts Fair. He wants to take them, along with [Terry] Frost, [John] Wells, etc.
01/08
Oliver Bevan (painter) and someone called Pat (quite a good painter too) have been teaching at Nigel’s [Centro d’Arte Verrocchio, run by Nigel Konstam, also in Casole d’Elsa]. I employed Bevan at Bristol as a visitor [visiting art lecturer]. We had a rather drunken evening together and have been suffering since.
12/08
…the Feilers turn up, next weekend. He was rushed into St. George’s hospital a month ago, for tests I think. Sounded serious but he says he is 100% fit. He did collapse once before at his London private view, with kidney stones. Don’t want any of that here. They are renting a place about eight miles away.
Can’t get started again on the painting, which is a pity, but perhaps I shall discover something soon. At present I am merely finishing off a number of old pictures.
Have heard from Joe and Jos Tilson, who are coming out to their farm at Cortona – and also from Kevin Crooks, who directed that awful and last film of mine on the Newlyn painters. There are several other visitors on the way so we are not too cut off. Barking dogs in the countryside driving us mad, but I suppose that is Italy. Today we go to Monterotondo Marittima for lunch “mit Dietrich unt Else”. Must try to keep off the WAR this time!
09/09
[from Madeleine] [Michael] has designed a logo for Palmyra, a friend of Sergio and Eva’s who is opening a fish shop in the village, and we are going to be thanked in vongole. He also did a design for the baker to put on his bags, and in return we were invited to dinner at his house in the country. It was rather strange, because he is doing it up bit by bit, and a lot of it was in a very unfinished state, but it had about 27 rooms and I can see why he is so proud of it. He wore his usual traditional baker’s cap throughout the meal, in fact is never seen without it, we think he probably goes to bed in it.
17/12
[from Madeleine to Simon’s godmother] In May the Parkin Gallery took part in the Chicago Arts Fair, and sold all Michael’s paintings, which was such a surprise he was unable to work again for weeks afterwards, and in fact, this year has been so full of disruptions he is only now getting down to work seriously again.
