AFTERNOON AT THE BAR - RENATO GUTTUSO

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. Only with the development of 19th-century realism did everyday subjects become considered as important as historical or religious ones.

This work is a masterful artist's work in which Guttuso engages with the complexity of a crowded composition. As is typical of Guttuso's work, the desire to achieve a realistic, fresh, and immediate image of the scene is evident. The various characters are depicted in spontaneous, free-spirited poses. The dominant feature is the black line, typical of the Sicilian artist, which effortlessly delineates the forms, also creating shadows that emphasize the volumes. The spatial construction of the setting features forced perspectives that serve to more effectively describe the café's interior.

Renato Guttuso, born in Bagheria in 1911 and died in Rome in 1987, was a painter deeply involved in politics and social issues. His artistic commitment stemmed from his socialist ideals and his outrage over social injustice and abuses of power. He participated in the Fronte Nuovo delle Arti group, developing a Realist-Expressionist style of painting and developing his "social art." Guttuso's most important works, expressing his Neorealist art, were masterpieces such as Ficilazione in Campagna (Fucilation in the Countryside) and Fuga dall'Etna (Escape from Etna). He was also elected senator twice, in 1976 and 1979, for the Italian Communist Party.

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