Footnotes

PROVENANCE
The Lucio's Collection, Sydney

LITERATURE
Lucio Galletto, The Art of Traditional Italian, Lantern, Sydney, 2014, p. 4 (illus.)

It was in 1993 that my accountant Tom Lowenstein introduced me to Lucio. I had never been to Lucio's restaurant before, and Tom suggested I might gift a painting as a contra for dining at this unique establishment. A drawing by Sidney Nolan was the first artwork done in the restaurant.

At the time I was doing paintings based on D. H. Lawrence's visit to Australia in 1922, and of his novel Kangaroo which was both autobiographical and reflected the rise of fascism in Australia.

The painting I chose for the restaurant was Dejeuner sur L'herbe, and so began the many visits over many years to this magical place. The music playing at the restaurant was invariably operatic putting us all in an elevated state...

Later, I was experimenting with fresco painting and created a small panel for Lucio's with a brass plaque dating it to the fourteenth century. The subject of the fresco was Ern Malley, the poet who didn't exist and which became famous as Australia's greatest literary hoax. The Love on Mount Pleasant painting of my Uncle, the vigneron Maurice O'Shea inside a wine barrel was a tribute to both Lucio and of Maurice who shared the love of culture; of fine dining and drinking in great company.

Lucio once visited Bundeena for a portrait sitting, and the work titled Soffrito di Lucio was a finalist for the Archibald prize in 2009. That portrait is now part of the National Portrait Gallery collection. This was a joint painting I did with Adrienne Levenson. There was the mosaic as well mounted on the outside wall of the restaurant. The mosaic titled In Ameglia showing D.H. Lawrence and Frieda on a hillside. The two of them had even once stayed in La Spezia, near Lucio's home.

Lucio's was the restaurant that created feasts for all my exhibitions, and with a special menu with an image from the show. There were book launches too, and Lucio even opened my 'Love on Mount Pleasant' show at the Maitland Gallery.

The times were too numerous when we would ring Lucio's and speak to Sally, Matteo and Michela at short notice, and they would find a table for us and we were always made to feel so welcome. The waiters we met over the years were all in their own way, great fun.

We were looked after so well for all those years!

Garry Shead