The shepherd's daughters 1869

Vincenzo Cabianca made this watercolor painting, "The Shepherd's Daughters," at some point in the mid-19th century. It depicts an Italian rural family in traditional dress, walking past ancient stone buildings. This is one of many paintings by Italian artists of this period that show idealized views of peasant life. In the decades after Italian unification, many artists focused on the traditional values and customs of the countryside. They looked to the rural poor as the true inheritors of the Italian spirit, far from the corruption of modern urban life. Cabianca was associated with the Macchiaioli group of painters, who were interested in representing scenes of everyday life. His art offers a lens through which to consider the politics of representing rural populations in the newly unified Italian state. Social historians of art have used paintings like this to reflect on the nationalistic movements of the 19th century.