Italy is known for many things, and among them is art and wine. Eric Wesley, a contemporary artist based in Los Angeles, was named the winner of the 2016 Artisti per Frescobaldi Award and honored at the Frescobaldi x Artisti lunch with Tiziana Frescobaldi at Mr. C Beverly Hills Hotel on May 16. The intimate lunch allowed guests to meet Eric and discover the intersection of art & wine. Over lunch, Tiziana presented Eric’s winning designs from the 2016 edition which are currently featured on the labels of the 2011 Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino. Guests also had the opportunity to enjoy a variety of wines with lunch from Frescobaldi Toscana including a special old vintage from the historic Castelgiocondo estate in Montalcino.
Artisti Per Frescobaldi is an annual art program where three artists are invited to the Frescobaldi estates in Tuscany each year to garner inspiration for original works featured on Frescobaldi’s wine labels. The labels are then used on a limited number of enumerated Magnum bottles of the most important wine produced from the estate in each respective edition. A portion of the proceeds of these wines goes to support Italian contemporary art.
The 2016 edition is dedicated to the United States and involved two American artists – Matthew Brannon and Eric Wesley. The artists were chosen to create an artwork inspired by Castel Giocondo, the Frescobaldi family’s historic estate in Montalcino. The artists interpreted the world of wine and its traditions in different ways- Matthew Brannon worked on the daily consumption of wine, Patrizio di Massimo on its conservation, and Eric Wesley took inspiration from the relationship between wine, science, and technology. Eric Wesley won with the piece “Not Yet Titled 2016,” which was selected by an elite judging panel.
Frescobaldi Toscana is one of Italy’s most historic wine families, with roots dating back over 700 years. Since the Renaissance, the Frescobaldi family has collected and commissioned art, which has included the works of Dante Alighieri, Brunelleschi, and Donatello. Created by 30th generation family member and Artistic Director Tiziana Frescobaldi in 2012, Artisti per Frescobaldi opens a new chapter in the relationship between the Frescobaldi family and the arts.
