Telemaco Signorini: Resting Places

The ancient Romans often walked along their stone walls, another reason that the walls were so thickly built. in addition to keeping the barbarians and the weeds at bay.  In a land where volcanic rock is plentiful and  stonemasons have made an art of precision and durability, a wall is a an admirable thing.     Children like to skip along the walls, experiencing the momentary thrill of being tall, commanding a view over the heads of grownups.  And a wall is a good place ti sit and think, or to rest.

For Telemaco Signorini (1835-1901), the purposes of art included lovingly detailed landscapes (note the precisely placed titles of his pictures) and expressions of social concern for working people, rather like sermons in stones.  I like to think of these  images as a triptych of resting places.  The little girl lying on the retaining wall is an image of weariness, curled into herself, turned away from the water - and the glare of the sun on it - her head rests on her burden.  Although the sea and her clothing are created from similar shades, she is quite apart from its promise of (visual) tranquility.

The girl  sitting on a wall may be near the little laudnress in age, but far removed by circumstance.  Her white dress suggesting the refinement made possible by the work of other hands, she sits absorbed in her needlework, ankles neatly crossed, quite probably the daughter of the owner of the landscape behind her.
As for the dog, whether working dog or household pet, it displays an intelligent appreciation for a good view, having taken a front row seat in the shade.



Telemaco Signorini wrote and spoke for the Macchiaioli artists., the Italian painters of chiaroscuro, who were active at the time of the French Impressionists. Born and schooled in Florence ,  he went to  Paris in 1861.  Intellectual curiosity drew him abroad frequently, to London and Paris where  he was welcomed into the circle of Edgar Degas.

Images:

1. Telemaco Signorini - Little Girl Resting On A Parapet, c. 1890, Museum of Modern Art, Pitti Palace, Florence.

2. Telemaco Signorini - Young Girl Alone At Setignano, 1885, Museo Zabarella, Padua.

3. Teleamco Signorini - End Of August At Petramela, 1889, Museo Zabarella, Padua.
You may also be interested in True Memories of Tuscany: Giovanni Fattori, posted here 27 November 2010.