Riposo Nei Campi 1899

Pasquale Celommi created this pastoral scene, Riposo Nei Campi, using oil paints and canvas, a well-established medium and support for painting at the time. The artist has captured a momentary scene of labor, or rather, a pause in it. The thickness and texture of the paint, especially in the grass and foliage, gives a sense of the vibrant, living landscape, while the figures are rendered with smooth brushstrokes. The workers and their tools – the woven basket – are depicted as part of the landscape, rooted in their labor. The contrast between the rough texture of the field and the smoother treatment of the figures emphasizes the amount of work involved in agriculture. The painting prompts us to consider the social context of agricultural labor, and how it is valued – or not – within a broader economic system. This work invites us to consider the labor and social context that underlies the finished artwork.