Borgata Di Pra Del Torno Presso Angrogna 1890

Giuseppe Barberis created this print of Borgata Di Pra Del Torno Presso Angrogna in Italy. This carefully detailed landscape provides a window onto the social geography of late 19th century Italy. The walled village at the bottom nestles in the shelter of the mountains, and the plumes of smoke suggest the encroachment of industry. We might want to know how the institutions of local government and the church are reflected in the layout of the village, and the relationship between these communities and the land. The formal composition invites speculation. What are the cultural values that shape Barberis' view of the relationship between the built environment and the natural one? Is there a political message in the way that the village is seen to coexist with nature? Careful research of local records, histories, and maps would help us to answer these questions. The meaning of art is contingent on such social and institutional contexts.