Arturo BONAN (1920-2010) - Winter at the Railway Depot

This painting by Arturo Bonanomi (1920–2010) depicts a snow-covered railway yard with a steam locomotive, freight wagons and several human figures. The dark locomotive dominates the centre of the composition, its circular front facing towards the right. In the foreground, two figures make their way through the snow, while behind the locomotive, the ochre-yellow façades of railway buildings and a row of reddish-brown freight wagons are visible.

The composition is built around strong contrasts between the almost black locomotive, the warm ochre and rust-brown tones of the buildings, and the cool whites and greys of the snow. The muted blue-green sky provides a restrained background. Bonanomi employs loose, expressive brushwork with broad, occasionally impasto strokes. The snow and rising steam are particularly striking, rendered with swift, visible brushstrokes. The simplified forms and pronounced contrasts of light and shadow give the painting an impressionistic character with expressionist influences.

The work is signed Bonanomi in the lower right corner and is presented in a broad, decorative frame with gold-toned and dark brown mouldings.
Dimensions of the artwork: 25 × 40 cm.
Dimensions including frame: 43 × 58 cm.

Artist Biography
Arturo Bonanomi (1920–2010) was an Italian painter born in Calolziocorte, Lombardy, who died in Lecco. Largely self-taught, he developed a figurative painting style characterised by direct brushwork, lively colour and pronounced contrasts of light and shadow.

His oeuvre primarily comprises landscapes, mountain villages and historic village scenes, with particular attention to the surroundings of Lecco and Lake Como. He also painted urban and architectural subjects. His work is characterised by free, often impasto brushwork, in which recognisable subjects are constructed through bold areas of colour and simplified forms.

In 2016, an exhibition of his work was held at Villa Monastero in Varenna and the Monastero del Lavello in Calolziocorte. This was followed in 2019 by the exhibition Tra Lago e Monti at the Torre Viscontea in Lecco. These exhibitions reflect the continuing regional interest in his artistic legacy.