Giovanni Lo Presti - The Emigrant's Protest

The iconography of this painting certainly has allegorical meanings and can be defined, in some ways, as symbolist precisely because of its allusion to underlying meanings. This type of subject can be traced back to the artistic language of late nineteenth-century painters such as Moreau, Bocklin, and Puvis des Chavannes, who, while using a primarily figurative language, developed intellectually complex iconographies, full of symbolic and allegorical references. Specifically, the subject of this work has a specific connotation of social denunciation of the plight of emigrants. The symbolist nature of the work ensures that this painting, created in 1970, has universal meanings, equally valid for contemporary situations.

The strong social commentary that Giovanni Lo Presti seeks to convey in this painting also draws on the form used, which accentuates the symbolic nature of the representation. Thus, at first glance, one can see how the subjects are characterized by strong expressiveness, almost deforming their faces into caricatures. The realistic physiognomy gives way to a mask that accentuates the dramatic nature of the scene. This character is also confirmed in the composition, which is constructed according to a narrow, cramped space, occupied entirely by the three figures. The sense of unease is heightened by the diagonal cut, which encloses the space with a heavy grate. Even in terms of composition, Lo Presti presents a rather complex character. His brushstrokes are dynamic, composed of a chromatic mixture of iridescent brown tones. Remarkable is the use of light, which comes from the grate, illuminating the protagonists' faces with a suggestive slant.

The work bears Giovanni Lo Presti's signature at the bottom right. As we can see from an analysis of this 1970 work, we find ourselves in a predominantly Symbolist phase of this painter's career, in which social commentary inspired by current issues meets a strong expressive character.

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