The Ghost Life: Human Presence and Absence in Art History

Luca Cantore D'Amore explores the dichotomy of human presence and absence in art history, from Renaissance cityscapes to Impressionist boulevards and contemporary emptiness. He contrasts the crowded canvases of pre-20th century art with the depopulated scenes of modernism, citing works like Giuseppe Pelizza da Volpedo's 'Il quarto stato' (1901) and Umberto Boccioni's 'Rissa in galleria' (1910) as transitional. The article draws a parallel between the deserted 'Città ideali' (1480s) by anonymous masters and Giorgio de Chirico's metaphysical piazzas, suggesting that the current COVID-19 pandemic has made these empty spaces eerily relevant. Cantore D'Amore references Italo Calvino's 'Lezioni americane' (1988) and the film 'La tigre e la neve' (2005) by Roberto Benigni to frame the existential condition. He argues that the Impressionist celebration of urban life, as in Claude Monet's 'Le Boulevard des Capucines' (1873) and Camille Pissarro's 'Avenue de l'Opéra' (1898), now feels like a lost carnival. The text is part of a series titled 'La vita fantasma' on Artribune, reflecting on art and the human condition during the pandemic.