Gallery - Frescoes
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Sicily as a continual source of inspiration
Sicily, its agricultural workers, fishermen and craftsmen, with its straightforward honesty, which Christian Hess experienced over a more than ten-year period between the 1920’s and 30’s was to provide a source of profound inspiration for the German painter’s artistic development. Hess’ palette was flooded with Mediterranean light – and the affect may also be seen in his frescoes.

   It is no exaggeration to
call the German Maestro the artistic messenger of Sicily in Europe (and now, thanks to Internet, to the world); so many of his paintings
are infused with fascinating glimpses of the sun-drenched island and its hard-working people. Sicilian elements are everywhere in his works: in drawings, engravings, sculptures in terracotta, triptychs, advertising sketches, water-colours and frescoes.

On this page you can see some of Hess’ preparatory sketches for frescoes on Sicilian themes which he carried out in Bavaria and other parts of Europe. All offer expressions of love for the island which welcomed him in the 1930’s during his voluntaary exile from Nazi oppression.




 



 

Sicilian women at the well  (Munich 1929) Mixed technique
on card – 30 x 70 cm – Lost work

Scenes from country life (Sicily 1930) Water-colour on card

Variation on country life (Messina 1930) Ink on card

Sicilian Peasants (Messina 1930) Ink on card (Drawn
on the back of the sketch Variation on country life)

The Straits of Messina seen from peace hill (Messina 1932)
Water-colour on card

Return of the Fishermen (Sicily 1932) Ink on card
Lost work

Any visitors to this site with information about the frescoes illustrated here are urged to contact the Christian Hess Cultural Association at:  info@christian-hess.net