Il Traghettatore Di Ombre 2020

Curator: Roberto Ferri’s 2020 oil painting, "Il Traghettatore Di Ombre," or "The Ferryman of Shadows," offers a striking modern take on historical painting. What are your initial impressions? Editor: It’s incredibly tactile. I immediately notice how the artist has rendered flesh, almost brutally. You can practically feel the weight of age, the effect of gravity and the very texture of the skin through Ferri's application of the oil paint. Curator: Absolutely. Ferri, who works firmly within a Baroque tradition, employs chiaroscuro to dramatic effect. The intense contrast isolates the figure and lends a powerful sense of gravitas. It echoes, visually and conceptually, the works of Caravaggio. Editor: Right. The darkness really emphasizes the physical nature of the labor. See the stark shadow cast by the staff that bisects the man’s body. The raw wood speaks volumes – the artist is clearly thinking about the cultural meaning embedded within the materiality. This is not just an idealised form; this is aged, laboring flesh, captured in paint. Curator: Ferri’s revival of Baroque strategies raises interesting questions, doesn’t it? Is it a purely aesthetic exercise or a commentary on contemporary society? What’s the point of bringing these historical styles back into the present moment? Are these images capable of sparking discourse and transformation today? Editor: Perhaps the revival offers viewers a new lens to perceive reality. I’m struck by the evident skill, a physical mastery of oil paint to render something undeniably real and present. The social and cultural background in its Baroque elements becomes material in its own right. Curator: It prompts us to reconsider the power and the possibilities of historical painting, I think. Thanks for pointing out its material and societal complexity. Editor: It’s hard to not see Ferri's intense handling of the material as both medium and message.