Capri 1948, one of Ruta’s first paintings of the Italian south. Peggy Guggenheim owned or rented a house on Capri and lent it to Ruta and his wife and baby daughter for part of the winter. From there, they went to the mainland and discovered Positano. This painting was also in the Casa Italiana show Feb 2015. The light on the laundry flapping in the wind is the best part of this work. Painting outdoors in all kinds of weather, Ruta has always been hyper-attentive to light. And who is that little person on the rooftop, gazing out to sea?