Geoffrey Humphries

• A retrospective of the remarkable works artist Geoffrey Humphries has produced in his fifty years as a flamboyant figure in Venice’s cultural scene
• Gives a tantalizing glimpse into the lives of the remarkable characters who passed through his studio – from rock stars, royalty and writers to eminent Venetians, artists, opera singers, and musicians
• Rich illustration and stunning design bring his sensuous figures to life on the page
• Features illuminating essays by eminent figures in the international art world

Renowned English artist Geoffrey Humphries (1945-  ), is arguably the greatest figurative painter living and working in Venice today. A master of oil painting, portraiture, watercolour and drawing, he paints theatrical fantasies alluding to the depraved allure of Secessionist Vienna and Beckmann’s dark take on Weimar Republic cabaret. Matching his bravura sense of colour with a sensual nuance of line, the extraordinary invention, variety and beauty of his work is eloquent testimony to his love of La Serenissima.

A flamboyant figure in Venice for more that fifty years, Humphries’ legendary soirées provide a kaleidoscopic background for his paintings. His studio became the epicentre for a cast of remarkable characters from the late 20th century, from rock stars, royalty and writers to eminent Venetians, artists, opera singers, and musicians.

This retrospective portfolio celebrates Humphries’ fifty years in Venice. Major works, past and present, chronicle his remarkable life and oeuvre, and serve as an homage to his adopted city—Venice, a fusion of past and present, the city of both yesterday and today.

With introduction and interview by Jackie Wullschlager, Chief Art Critic of the Financial Times, and essays by Colin Wiggins, former Director of Special Projects at the National Gallery in London, Eric Denker, Senior Lecturer at the National Gallery in Washington, and Janet Todd, former president of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge.