Capri Motif

This painting depicts the Certosa di San Giacomo monastery in the southern part of Capri. The monastery is likely to be found in some other painting by Mägi, too, because he would often use the same motif in a number of works. He also painted the local church on several occasions while he was in Capri, which indicates his increased interest in religious objects.

Mägi has used a similar viewpoint in other Capri views: walls drawing the viewer’s gaze into the depth of the painting where it is met by an opening through which distant mountains can be seen. His Capri views are also characterised by a labyrinthian approach to space, making them somewhat cryptic and hinting at his love for the mysterious. It could also be interpreted as a reflection of Mägi’s state of mind: the labyrinths with their complex structures and no visible way out may speak of his psychological deadlock. However, the latter assumption is based on a rather fragile foundation because there are very few signs of Mägi having been depressed during his stay in Italy (although a certain gloominess was always part of his nature).  

This work moved with its owners to Sweden during World War II, and they must have been in a hurry to leave Estonia: the location of the signature suggests that the painting was hastily cut out of its frame with a knife, rolled up and placed among the luggage. When the painting was placed into a new frame in Sweden, the surface of the canvas was smaller because of the cutting, so the signature ended up being stretched over the edge of the base frame. Later, the work was in the collection of the art collector Voldemar Sõjamägi, who had been the mayor of Nõmme during the German occupation. It was brought back to Estonia in 2021.