Given his Welsh-sounding name it might surprise you to learn that Llewelyn Lloyd was actually born in Livorno, in 1879.
The son of a Welsh merchant, he became an orphan as a young boy, entering the care of an uncle who wished him to study commerce. Instead Llewelyn was drawn to Guglielmo Micheli’s art studio, where he met Amedeo Modigliani, Gino Romiti and Giovanni Fattori.
A member of the post-Macchiaioli movement, the 20th-century British-Italian painter is best known for his landscapes, especially rose-hued sunsets, seaside paintings and striking views of Florence, his adopted hometown.
This exhibition, on display in the rooms of Villa Bardini until January 7, 2018, focuses on the artist’s depictions of the Tuscan landscape, gathering together 62 works from private and public collections around Italy. The paintings mainly hail from collections in Florence and Livorno, but a few select pieces belong to collections in Rome, Milan, Viareggio and Reggio Emilia.
Lloyd was fascinated by chromatic relationships and his art reflects an interest in creating compositional balance. His intricate landscapes are perfectly complemented by the lush views at Villa Bardini, one of the calmest and most picturesque overlooks in Florence.
Lloyd. Paesaggi toscani del Novecento
Villa Bardini, costa San Giorgio 2 + via dei Bardi 1r, Florence
Until January 7, 2018
Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-7pm