Ekphrasis

This extraordinary painting of the landmark Four Seasons Restaurant in Mid-Town Manhattan is a work that was commissioned by one of the restaurant’s respected patrons.

The painting was a huge undertaking, being both large in scale and containing more than fifty figures. Varriano amply displays his artistic prowess on many levels in this work. Each figure in the painting depicts an actual person, and the artist has rendered each of them accurately concerning features, personality, and gestures.

The chef, who would occasionally emerge from the kitchen, can be seen enjoying a glass of red wine in the lower left of the scene. Just above him, a head waiter is kissing a woman’s hand.  Above her, is one of the restaurant managers gesticulating in frustration at a fellow manager. Towards the right, one of the restaurant’s owners holds a cigar in his fleshy hand while listening to a woman who is confiding a secret. A waiter at the lower right lifts a polished brass banquet table, and we momentarily catch his reflection on its surface.

The bartenders and waiters are all in action and serving the patrons. The patrons, most of whom are regulars, are very much at home in this welcoming environment.

The gentleman who commissioned the work is standing in the center, with a pale, coral striped shirt and holding a glass of wine. His elegant wife, dressed in black, is seated next to him and looks out to engage the viewers.

Everything is in movement, and in a Modern context, we are reminded of the power that we might find displayed in a large-scale Baroque masterpiece.

In this exceptional work, Varriano here demonstrates a rare talent for executing a large, complex work that is held together within the unity of a design swirling with energy.

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