A glimpse of Harry Jackson’s life – First time traveling to Italy

Here are some sketches from the first trip my father took to Italy.

Bay of Naples 7/9/1954 by Harry Jackson, copyright Harry Jackson Trust

Naples street scene by Harry Jackson 7/9/1954 copyright Harry Jackson Trust

I want to show these sketches because they are from the first trip my father took to Italy and the rest of Europe.  He arrived in 1954 to study the masters of the renaissance and to part ways with the abstract expressionist school of art in NY.  It is a very important period in his continuing development as an artist and as a maverick.

Most of the sketches he made at this time were made to study the work of the masters.  That was what he was there to do.  Even so sketching one’s surroundings and working from life is an important part of developing one’s artistic voice.  One can see here that he did that as well as study the works of the masters.

I am currently in Italy visiting my father’s home and studio.  It is where I was born and all my brothers and sisters were born.  Well my sister Molly was born in Sweden, but she was at the home in Italy soon enough. The home in Italy was built in the mid 60’s, just before I was born, and has been an important and constant part in the lives of all of us children.  It is where an incredible amount of his creative work has been done and where his foundry was located.  All of this was in his future when he first came to Italy and made the simple sketches above.