Grotta della Minerva
In this monumental painting, the gaze is directed from a dark cave towards the stormy sea. In the foreground, there are the black rocks that seem to give the painting a natural frame, while at the center, the whitish foam of the waves fills almost like a vortex the entrance of the cave animated by the flight of seagulls that let themselves be carried away by the storm and the waves. In this scenario we can see a group of diafans, marine deities, who hold hands forming a circle. These fantastic beings, through their light colors, are confused in the foam of the waves, turning into magical beings without body so much as to immerse the whole natural scene in an unreal world. The cave depicted in this painting has long been considered the White Grotto of Capri but, in reality, it is a cave of the Trieste karst, which confirms the artist’s stay in Trieste. In the background you can see the cliff of the White Lady and a building on a rock overlooking the sea, probably to be identified with the Castle of Duino.
© MINISTERO DELLA CULTURA

CONTINUE: The passage of Capri