Gallery 1261 is pleased to present The iconic beauty of flowers, a solo exhibition by Fred Wessel, on view from October 25th through November 12th, 2024. The opening reception will be held on October 25th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, with the artist in attendance.

Inspired by the techniques of Renaissance masters such as Fra Angelico and Botticelli, Wessel’s work captures the luminous beauty of flowers through tempera painting and gold leaf. His dedication to these traditional methods, combined with vivid pigments and semi-precious cabochons, results in exquisite pieces that celebrate both nature and craftsmanship. This new series, created during the pandemic, reflects Wessel's drive to make art that is "so beautiful it would be difficult to ignore," a principle passed down from his mentor, Jack Beal.

We invite you to experience these extraordinary works firsthand, where Renaissance-inspired technique meets contemporary vision in a celebration of beauty and nature.

Artist statement

In 1984 a two-week trip to Italy had a profound and prolonged influence on my work. I went to Italy to trace my Italian roots and to view the art of the Renaissance. It is my belief that all visual artists, especially realists, should experience and study this work first hand. I could not have predicted the dramatic impact, both directly and indirectly, that this trip would have on my ensuing art work.

After witnessing the beauty, sensitivity, harmony and preciousness of Italian Renaissance tempera painting, especially the work of Fra Angelico, Simone Martini, Ghirlandaio and Botticelli, I realized that I had to research and learn more about this magical medium. The ever-changing inner light that radiates from gold leaf used judiciously and the use of rich, intense colors illuminate the picture's surface and impressed me deeply. I also was smitten by the eggshell-like surface and the beautiful luminosity of these amazing works.

Since the Bauhaus, the term 'precious' has had a negative connotation in many art schools. In Florence, I found myself in the Botticelli Room of the Uffizi Gallery with tears in my eyes… enraptured by the sheer beauty that surrounded me. Here “preciousness” was elevated to grand heights; semi-precious gems such as lapis lazuli, malachite, azurite, etc. were ground up, mixed with egg yolks and applied as paint pigments, producing dazzling and breathtaking colors!

Since the beginning of COVID I have been obsessed with making my art as beautiful as possible and I launched a series of Flower Icon pieces attempting to bring that beauty to the viewer. My friend and mentor, the great realist painter Jack Beal, once told me his mission was “to make art that was so beautiful it would be difficult to ignore”.

I often start my paintings by doing a silverpoint drawing which is then covered with a fully developed ink drawing. 23k gold leaf is then applied to the panel using the traditional water gilding technique. After the gold is applied it is burnished and tooled with select agate burnishers and a variety of punches. At this point the painting begins. Thin layers of color (dry pigments ground and mixed with egg yolk) are carefully applied by alternately glazing and modeling with transparent and semi opaque colors. With the painting done, semi precious cabochons are often added to complete the composition.

The frames on the larger paintings are an integral part of the piece's presentation adding a decorative band of sgraffito whose design is often inspired by some detail within the tempera piece.

(Text by Fred Wessel)