Ghetto of Florence 1882

Telemaco Signorini captured this scene of Florence's historic Jewish Ghetto on canvas, using oil paints, likely in the late 19th century. The thick application of paint brings a palpable texture to the scene. You can almost feel the rough surfaces of the buildings and the uneven cobblestones underfoot. Signorini’s approach speaks to the artistic movement known as the Macchiaioli, who valued capturing the essence of a scene through patches, or "macchie," of color and light. But beneath this focus on painterly technique, there's a clear social commentary. The Ghetto, a site of forced segregation for centuries, is depicted not as a romantic backdrop, but as a place of labor and poverty. In the foreground, women are shown engaged in some form of craft production, their work seemingly unending. Signorini highlights the realities of urban life and the divides of class and labor. It invites us to consider the social contexts embedded within even the most seemingly straightforward landscape paintings.