Die Nacht. 1988.
Oil on canvas (in 2 parts).
Verso of canvas signed and dated. 100 x 160 cm (39.3 x 62.9 in).
The person depicted here is Castelli's model Alida, who he met in 1986. Over the following years he made a number of portraits of the young African girl. The painting "The Night" rather conforms to the "allegorically intended, superordinate figure painting in line with the models situative, social and psychological disposition". Castelli had developed this concept through the examination of Ferdinand Hodler's Symbolism. (Quote after: Matthias Liebel, Luciano Castelli - 20 Jahre Malerei, diss. Uni Bamberg, 2004, pp. 331 and 360ff). [EH].