Late Period: Lombardy William Congdon

in fall of 1979 congdon moved studio apartment adjacent benedictine monastery comunità ss. pietro e paolo (community of saints peter , paul) in cascinazza, in milanese countryside of gudo gambaredo (italy), live rest of life. aware last decisive move of career; there no more traveling far-flung places. @ first, more diffident towards own “promised land”, few years later, placid lombardy plain, florid meadows, stark outline of farmhouses, low foggy sky, found vertical elevation in paintings; became new points of reference imagination. congdon had tackle sky , earth never seemed change, seemed permanent heralds of death. in diary wrote going exile had supported, comforted, flattered , inspired him. in effect demanding , unavoidable engagement land , rhythm of seasons had precise , decisive effects upon art. 1980s onwards, draftsmanship became less taut, paint less thick, colors more sharply divided. while never totally denying basis in naturalistic perception, works of new phase in art reveal greater degree of abstraction.