XNL Piacenza from 29 March to 29 June 2025 hosts an exhibition entitled ‘Giovanni Fattori 1825-1908. Il genio dei Macchiaioli(The ‘genius’ of the Macchiaioli)’ celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of one of the protagonists of the great European naturalism of the second half of the 19th century.
The exhibition that delves into the figure of the artist involves the nearby Ricci Oddi Modern Art Gallery, where an itinerary dedicated to Fattori’s influence on later art is developed.
The artist
Giovanni Fattori (Leghorn 1825 – Florence 1908), undisputed protagonist of the Macchiaioli movement, investigated and mastered all painting genres. His early research on the Macchiaioli led to a true revolution in 19th century art, but it was accompanied by research on portraits, landscapes in the en plein air sense, rural life and the Maremma, a symbol of the peasant world that Fattori loved and which he contrasted with the disorientating urban modernity. Military subjects stand out against these, investigated both in the more solemn and epic events of the great campaigns of the Wars of Independence, and in the more intimate moments of garrison life.
The Exhibition – Giovanni Fattori 1825-1908. The ‘genius’ of the Macchiaioli
The exhibition opens simultaneously with the publication of the catalogue raisonné dedicated to the artist and involves leading scholars and collectors who dealt with Fattori, in particular the Matteucci Institute of Viareggio and Milan. The survey covers the various fields of interest with particular attention to the artist’s graphic production, composed of etchings of extraordinary beauty, which reveal his ability to renew language through a new technique, complementary to painting.
Fattori’s art also left an indelible mark on 20th century culture. His works also inspired important Italian directors such as Sergio Leone or Luchino Visconti, who used Fattori’s atmospheres in films such as Senso (1954) and The Leopard (1963).
The exhibition, hosted in the Palace of Contemporary Arts, concludes with the photographic works of Elger Esser, who offers a unique visual reflection. His images, characterised by a fascinating balance between landscape and historical memory, introduce a contemporary dimension that engages in an intense dialogue with Fattori’s 19th century naturalism.
