Ralph Goings Pizza Stromboli Mezzalluna - Mezzogiorno - New York, NY, ca. 2000

This beautiful, limited edition, signed and numbered bowl/plate was handmade in southern Italy by master artiisans near Vietri sul Mare, was designed by renowned American photorealist painter Ralph Goings. In 2000, Buon Ricordo America, Inc. commissioned famous artists to design plates for their flagship restaurants. Goings designed the present work for the renowned NY Italian restaurant Mezzogiorno. Going's design depicts one of the restaurant's signature dishes, Pizza Stromboli Mezzalluna - an subject that lends itself perfectly to the photorealist style. Unfortunately, Mezzogiorno closed its doors on October 14, 2018 -- but you can still enjoy their signature dish with this great Goings artwork! This plate is a real collector's item -- and difficult to find it was created in a limited edition and never mass marketed. The artist's signature is fired into the plate on the recto and verso (front and back) and numbered from the limited edition of 510.

These plates were made in conjunction with Buon Ricordo America, Inc., an offshoot of the Italian restaurant union, Boun Ricordo (Unione Ristoranti del Buon Ricordo). The union has a long tradition of commissioning handmade plates that represent the essence of each of their member restaurants by artisans throughout Italy. The plates capture the essence of each restaurant’s local specialty, and the decoration is embellished with references to the restaurant, its local territory and products. The rim of each plate bears the name of the restaurant and the town or village it is in.

Going plate was made from local clay from a quarry in Ogliara, a few kilometres from Vietri. After biscuit firing they are coated and decorated by hand by skilled craftsmen using a carbon “dusting” technique similar to that once used for Renaissance fresco painting. Once the plates were decorated they are glazed and fired for a second time to fix their vivid colors. In the early 2000s, Buon Ricordo America, Inc. collaborated with some of America's most prominent artists to make a series of plates for iconic restaurants throughout the United States.

The verso (back) of the plate reads as follows:

"Limited edition designed by the artist to benefit charitable organizations dedicated to feeding needy home-bound elderly persons and helping children at risk from abuse and disease."
"The artist does not derive any income from the sale of this plate."
"Microwave, oven and dishwasher safe."
"Printed by Decoritalia"
"Made in Italy"