Beppe Serafini - The Oxen

Animal portraits in art have ancient origins, appearing even in primitive cave paintings. For religious reasons, various types of animals appear in the works of various ancient civilizations. It was especially in the Middle Ages, within the International Gothic style, that animal depictions became widespread as true life portraits, both within works of art and in notebooks containing drawings and sketches. The presence of animals as subjects in art remained constant until the contemporary era. Like Antonio Ligabue's, Beppe Serafini's naive art is also linked to the peasant world and the daily life of the countryside. For this reason, along with figures of rough and simple commoners, his works also frequently feature subjects inspired by animals from the agricultural world.

The subjects chosen by Beppe Serafini and his method of representation can be likened to the Naïve movement. The Naïve artist is by definition self-taught, someone who has not attended an academy but has found inspiration within himself. Stylistically, this translates into figurative painting that offers a simplified interpretation of reality, with infantile and unconsciously primitivist overtones. However, even the Naïve artist, in his spontaneity, possesses a self-awareness that leads him to develop a very specific aesthetic language, distinguishing it from amateurism. Beppe Serafini's Naïve simplification of reality, however, corresponds to a complexity of composition. When space is emptied of depth and the subject of volume, expressive force comes from the complicated system of lines that constructs the design of his subjects. This system creates a complex rhythm that characterizes the entire work. The subjects take on a decidedly expressive, almost caricatural character, and tell us of the strength and sincerity of a daily life closely tied to work and the land. For this reason, Beppe Serafini's palette always leans toward brown, earthy tones.

Giuseppe Serafini (Montelupo Fiorentino 1915-1987), known as Beppe, was discovered by Antonio Possenti and included in the Naïve movement. He exhibited his works in numerous shows in Italy and abroad, the most important of which was at Palazzo Strozzi in 1976. His main themes draw on a simple world of poverty and traditional crafts. His characters are depicted with a spontaneous nature that imbues them with a folksy, earthy essence.

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