End of Summer: Beaches Empty and Art Reflects Nostalgia

As summer ends, Italian beaches empty out, prompting reflections on the season's conclusion. The article draws parallels between the post-vacation landscape and works by artists like Luigi Ghirri, Tracey Emin, Claude Monet, Raimond Wouda, Tacita Dean, Alex Katz, Edward Hopper, Franco Fontana, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Elger Esser. Ghirri's photographs of abandoned beaches are described as 'pure visual poetry,' while Emin's 'The Hut' evokes the private, nostalgic space of a beach hut. Monet's Norman seascapes capture the shift in light and color, and Wouda's solitary figures under cloudy skies mirror the quiet departure. Tacita Dean's film 'Amadeus' is seen as a ritualistic return, and Alex Katz's flat, elegant figures freeze moments in time. Edward Hopper's 'Rooms by the Sea' reflects the silence of empty summer homes. Franco Fontana's minimalist seascapes and Hiroshi Sugimoto's timeless, human-free horizons anticipate the off-season. Elger Esser's 'Cayeux' depicts a lone bather, symbolizing the personal archive of memories. The article muses on the 'buon anno' (happy new year) exchanged among beachgoers, treating the end of August as a personal new year, and concludes with a wish to meet again next August.