Beppe Serafini - The Shoemakers

The painting 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. With the development of 19th-century realism, everyday subjects were considered as important as historical or religious ones. The painter Beppe Serafini, in his work, displays a predilection for genre scenes of a popular anecdote.

The subjects chosen by Beppe Serafini and the manner 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 corresponds, in fact, to a complex composition. When space is emptied of depth and the subject of volume, expressive force is provided by the complicated system of lines that construct the composition. This system creates a complex rhythm that characterizes the entire drawing. Color also plays its part, adopting hues that transcend the sensory to acquire a symbolic connotation. Serafini generally prefers earthy tones which reaffirm the genuinely popular character of his pictorial production.

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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