Frescoes by Luini, in Lugano
1916
Maurice Denis traveled to Switzerland in 1916 to sketch the stunning 16th-century frescoes by Bernardino Luini inside the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Lugano. Instead of creating a stiff architectural copy, he captured the dreamy, hazy atmosphere of the church interior, using soft pinks, deep reds, and golden yellows to show how the ancient paintings glow in the dim light. The grand arches frame a distant altar, pulling your eye through the space while the textured brushstrokes make the whole scene feel like a warm, vibrating memory rather than a photograph.