Macchiaioli: Italy's Revolutionary Impressionists Rediscovered

The Macchiaioli, a key group of Italian artists from Tuscany in the mid-1800s, are gaining renewed attention for their role in the Risorgimento. They were active almost a decade before the French Impressionists and focused on portraying peasant life and political themes. The name 'Macchiaioli' was coined in 1862 by the conservative magazine Nuova Europa, derived from the word 'macchia,' which means splotch, reflecting their vibrant use of color and light. Important figures in this movement included Giovanni Fattori, Silvestro Lega, and Vito D’Ancona, who often met at Caffè Michelangiolo in Florence. While they initially strayed from Neoclassicism and Romanticism, they frequently painted outdoors. Their works, featuring strong female figures like in Odoardo Borrani's 'Women Stitching Red Shirts' (1863), fell into private collections after 1862 until novelist Anna Franchi's 1902 book sparked new interest, with art historian Norma Broude calling it a significant moment for Italian art.