Tag: painting
-
The Exotic Parrot Vendor
“Venditore di Pappagalli” (“Parrot Vendor”) detail from my father’s toy, hand-painted Sicilian cart. The cart was painted in Bagheria by Onofrio Ducato. It was given to my dad by his uncle Domenico in 1950.
-
In This Corner, An Unknown Man
A couple of weeks ago, the day our group was in Cefalù, I wandered off on my own. (Hint: Stick with the tour guide, they know about the hidden corners!) The hidden corner I sought after was the Museo Mandralisca–a small collection of art and archeological works that is packed with punch. The punch here…
-
They Came Bearing Gifts
Epiphany: A painting of the adoration of Christ in the Oratorio di Santa Cita in Palermo.
-
Caravaggio Captured Lucia’s Light
At the dawn of the 4th century, practicing Christianity in the Roman-ruled city of Siracusa was illegal. Already though, inspired by nearby Catania’s Patron Saint, Sant’Agatha, who lived just a few decades before (from 231 AD – 251 AD), the young and beautiful Lucia devoted herself to Christianity. In fact, she was known to enter…
-
Peace Dove
April 25 is Liberation Day in Italy. Liberation Day celebrates the 1945 fall of Mussolini’s fascist Italian Social Republic and the end of the Nazi occupation of Italy in World War II. This oil on canvas painting is by Sicilian, 20th century artist Renato Guttuso (1912-1987). “Medlar Leaves and Dove, ” or “Foglie di nespolo…
-
Bella Tarantella
Today, the tarantella (shown in this painting) is still alive and danced and played socially in many parts of southern Italy. In modern-day Sicily, however, it’s danced most often by organized folk music and dance ensembles at feasts and festivals. There remains a very strong folk music culture throughout the island, where you’ll find musicians…
-
Guttuso Captured Humanity
Sicilian artist Renato Guttuso (1912-1987) portrayed images of humanity in action. This 1953 painting, “Donne di zolfatari” or “Women of the Sulfur Minors,” captures the anguish and urgency women felt as their husbands and sons worked in the dangerous and arduous mining industry of Caltanisetta and Girgenti. Guttuso, who was from Bagheria, conveyed social issues…
-
A Woman with a Vision
A working woman with a vision: detail from a painting in the chambers at Palermo’s Palazzo dei Normanni, the house of Sicily’s parliament.
-
Come Let Us Adore Him
“The Adoration,” a painting in Agrigento’s Church of the Holy Spirit at Il Monastero di Santo Spirito.