A. De Luca (1979) - Il raccoglitore di Stelle

The Collector of Stars
Oil on canvas, 40 × 30 cm
A. De Luca

Oil on canvas, 40 x 30 cm
In this canvas, A. De Luca invites us on an enchanted journey through an ancient village wrapped in the magic of the night. The composition, dominated by a vertical and irregular architecture that evokes the sloping roofs and crenellated towers of a fairy-tale village, unfolds in a play of overlapping planes: buildings in gray stone, facades worn by time, wooden balconies and windows lit by a warm orange glow, piercing the darkness like lanterns suspended. At the center of the scene, on a narrow plank footbridge that boldly projects from the highest roof, stands a child with dark curly hair, wearing a dark green coat that blends with the shadows. With outstretched hands he holds a small white bowl, as white as snow, and his absorbed gaze, directed upward and slightly to the right, is a silent invitation to the viewer: is he perhaps catching moonbeams, whispering secrets to the stars, or simply daydreaming with his eyes open?
The sky, a deep, iridescent blue velvet, is the true emotional protagonist of the work. A full moon, enormous and luminous, sits at the center, radiating an ethereal halo that envelops everything in a silver-soft light. Around it, stylized stars—or perhaps snowflakes dancing in the wind—dot the air with a rain of white points, creating a delicate, hypnotic sense of movement. The atmosphere is foggy and shaded, with veils of haze that wrap around the more distant buildings, lending depth and mystery to the background: slender towers, smokestacks, and spires that fade into the distance, like a Gothic fairy-tale landscape.
The artist's brushstroke, typical of oil on canvas, is fluid and sensuous, with light touches that render the textures of rough stones, smooth wood, and the glow of interior lights vibrant and alive. The colors are a masterful balance between cool and warm: the pearly grays of the buildings and the night blue of the sky contrast with the golden yellows of the windows, while the pure white of the moon and the bowl illuminates everything, infusing a sense of purity and childlike wonder. There is no drama or tension, but a dreamlike quiet, a poetic solitude that speaks of a connection between the human and the universe, between the small and the vast.
This work, signed discreetly at the bottom right, captures the essence of an eternal moment: the child on the roof becomes a universal symbol of curiosity and wonder, a small hero who, on an enchanted night, gathers not only stars but the dreams of those who watch him. An invitation to pause, to look up, and to let imagination take flight.