Giuseppe Rivaroli - Gallant Scene

The work can be defined as a genre scene, that is, the depiction of an episode of everyday life that, apparently, lacks any significant element. These types of domestic subjects were long considered minor and only began to spread in Western art starting in the 17th century. Only with the development of 19th-century realism did everyday subjects become considered as important as historical or religious ones. In addition to subjects consistent with 19th-century history painting and other, more complex, symbolist-inspired iconographic themes, Giuseppe Rivaroli also drew inspiration from the gallant genre scene, drawing on its 18th-century codification but recontextualizing it according to his contemporary sensibilities.

The character of the work is perfectly in keeping with the Verist-Impressionist pictorial context. The tone of the scene is marked by an intense sentimentality typical of the re-enactment of 18th-century genre scenes of the gallant style. Another peculiarity is the eminently didactic nature of the overall composition: the scene is narrated with extreme clarity, with a highly accentuated and even subtly idealized flair in the description of the costumes and the setting. It is above all in its form that Giuseppe Rivaroli demonstrates his contemporaneity. The strokes used in this "Gallant Scene" are rapid, and the forms come to life with a few quick strokes. There is, in short, a prevailing Impressionist quality, which indicates the desire to create a work fully in keeping with a Verist aesthetic, yet imbued with an expressiveness rooted in the painter's gestures. Color is predominant, both in the description of the garden, indicating all the plays of light through tonal variations, and in the recording of all the emotional and existential vibrations on the group of characters.

Giuseppe Rivaroli (Cremona, 1885 - Rome, 1943) was a pupil of Cesare Tallone and Giuseppe Mentessi at the Brera Academy, before moving on to the Academy of Parma. The artist created a series of masterpieces in Rome: in 1928, he frescoed the Ministry of the Navy with Rome Triumphant and Rome Victorious over the Sea, and in 1932, he worked on the decoration of the International Institute of Agriculture. He also worked in other Italian cities, and his fame grew among critics and the public throughout his life. A dominant feature of his works is the light that floods his subjects, such as people, animals, and the countryside.

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