| Macchiaioli - The Concept | | | | and the pools of color in the works reflected the |
| Macchiaioli, a group of Italian painters from | | | | artists' emotional reaction to the captured scene |
| Tuscany, was active in during 1850s-1900. They | | | | rather than its intellectual awareness. They |
| painted outdoor views to portray natural light, | | | | believed that the theme of painting should be |
| shades, and colors. These Tuscan artists were | | | | obvious even through a fleeting glance. It should |
| the predecessors of the early Renaissance | | | | be conveyed clearly through the painted surface |
| painters and in many ways were the direct | | | | itself, not requiring any mental understanding of |
| descendants of the Impressionists. | | | | any ideological message or narrative. The artists |
| The History | | | | used a sketching technique to record their initial |
| 1848 saw the growth of a creative movement in | | | | impressions of nature, as often seen from a |
| France, originated by a group of revolutionary | | | | distance, through color and light. They abandoned |
| artists. During 1850s, they met at a cafe named | | | | the idea that drawing should precede the |
| Michelangioli, in Florence, to discuss art and politics. | | | | application of color, and instead employed the |
| Some strong works of veteran painters and the | | | | technique of lining up the 'spots of color' to give a |
| paintings of their French contemporaries from the | | | | flickering visual effect. They painted genre scenes, |
| Barbizon School particularly inspired them. The key | | | | historical subjects, portraits, and landscapes. |
| features of this art form were light and shadow | | | | The Artists |
| effects, also called the 'macchie.' Italian artists in | | | | The notable Macchiaioli artists were Giuseppe |
| the 19th century, commonly used 'Macchie' to | | | | Abbati (1836-68), Giovanni Fattori (1825-1908), |
| reflect the sparkling quotient of the paintings, | | | | Sivestro Lega (1826-95), Telemaco Signorini |
| through sketching, spontaneous execution, or | | | | (1835-1901), Saverio Altamura (1826-97), Odaordo |
| harmonious breadth. On November 03, 1862, the | | | | Borrani (1834-1905), Vincenzo Cabianca |
| first appearance of Macchiaioli in print was | | | | (1827-1902), and Vito D'Ancona (1825-84). |
| published in the journal Gazzetta del Popolo. This | | | | The Art Works |
| new movement received heavy criticism during its | | | | One of the most important Macchiaioli Paintings is |
| early years. The situation was so extreme that | | | | the 'Seaside Resort of Castiglioncello' by Silversto |
| many Macchiaioli artists had even died of poverty. | | | | Lega. Most of the works are a part of private |
| This art gained fame only towards the end of the | | | | collections. |
| 19th century. Today, this genre is identified the | | | | Conclusion |
| most in Italy. | | | | When it comes to painting, Italy is considered as |
| The Details | | | | an attic of an immensely wealthy family. |
| The color patches were the most significant | | | | Macchiaioli is its obvious example. |
| aspect of Macchiaioli Painting. Bold brush strokes | | | | |