Stamped, verso, with estate stamp for Victor Di Gesu (American, 1914-1988) and created circa 1950. Winner of the Prix Othon Friesz, Victor di Gesu first attended the Los Angeles Art Center and the Chouinard Art School before moving to Paris where he studied with Andre L’Hote and Yves Brayer at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. During this period, Di Gesu exhibited extensively at the Parisian salons including at the Exposition des Artistes Etrangères, the Grand Palais of the Salon d'Automne, the Salon des Arts Décoratifs and at the Louvre museum. He subsequently moved to Barcelona to study at the Escuela de Bellas Artes before furthering his studies at the Studio Hinna in Rome. Returning to California, he worked with a variety of artists including F. Tolles Chamberlain and Maynard Jepson. An intuitive colorist, Di Gesu’s classical training and scientific research into color theory helped him create vivid yet harmonious works which, while reminiscent of Matisse and Gauguin, retained a verve and spontaneity that was uniquely his own. A prolific artist, Di Gesu was the recipient of numerous medals and juried awards, both in the United States and France. In the United States, he also exhibited widely and with success, including at the San Francisco Museum of Art, the Carmel Art Association and the Los Angeles County Museum.