Gaetano Daniele Di Guardo was born in 1979 in Aci Sant’Antonio, in the province of Catania. After studying art, Gaetano went on to specialise in figurative painting at the Accademia delle Belle Arti, graduating with the highest marks. In addition to painting mainly on canvas in a dreamlike, surreal style, he teaches courses in local schools and introduces young people to the recurring techniques of Renaissance art. In recent years he rediscovered the values of the Sicilian painting tradition and became impassioned about cart decoration, frequenting specialised workshops and learning from the most important masters.

The decorations on this refrigerator are inspired by the theme of the madness of Orlando, the paladin made ‘furioso’ by his unrequited love for Angelica. The central part depicts the knight being forcibly restrained by his companions as they wait for Astolfo to recover his senses. The scene continues on the side panels, where Peppennino, famous satirical figure from the Sicilian puppet theatre, and a Carolingian knight hold the rope with which the hero is bound. The three knights are surrounded by decorations typical of Sicilian cart painting, specifically of the Catanese tradition, with anthropomorphic and floral friezes, geometric motifs and landscape medallions. On the top is a smoking Mount Etna framed by prickly pear and agave motifs.