Giacomo Girolamo Casanova 1725 – 1798nn‘Casanova would be bemused to discover that he is remembered today almost exclusively for his sex life. He was a fiercely proud intellectual and polymath, who worked at different times as a violinist, soldier, alchemist, faith-healer and even librarian, and originally trained to be a priest. Most of his life was spent far from his native Venice, engaged at multiple careers from Paris to St Petersburg, London to Prague to Dresden, Amsterdam, Vienna and even Istanbul. He made and lost a couple of fortunes, founded a state lottery, wrote forty-two books, along with plays, philosophical and mathematical treatises, opera libretti, poetry and works on calendars, canon law and cubic geometry. He translated Homer’s Iliad into modern Italian, helped introduce the oratorio into French music, was a noted gourmet and practitioner of the cabbala and wrote a five-volume science fiction novel. Yet when he died in 1798 the event was sufficiently unremarked for the site of his burial to be soon forgotten. His international fame is posthumous and is attributable to one work: his Histoire de Ma Vie which lay unpublished in any form for a generation after his death, and has not been available in its entirety until recent years.’nn nnFrom Casanova by Ian Kelly                                                                                                                    Published by Hodder Paperback (2009)nn nnEugene de Leastar’s recent visits to Venice has inspired this latest body of work.  His focus is on the subtleties of the reflections found in the Venetian canals.nnEugene has a deep affection and long relationship with Italy. He visits frequently and is hugely inspired by the beauty and everchanging light of this majestic country. He has a particular love of the whole Venice area and has spent a lot of time there soaking up the splendour of its location, its historic buildings, its very being. The oil paintings on show will allow us a glimpse of this extraordinary city on water. Enjoy the light and colour of this intriguing city which has always had a fascination for artists.nnThis is original oil painting. It measures 61 x 61 cm including the white frame.