Dreams, Vittrio Mateo Corcos

   In 2018 I walked into a bookstore in Nuremberg, Germany and happen to see a small paperback with this painting on the cover.   Not able to read German, I asked at the desk for a translation of the title: "Frauuen, die lesen, sind gefahrllich"; which seems to mean:  "Women reading are dangerous".  Combining two of my great loves, painting and book reading, I bought the book.  Someday, maybe I will learn to read it, but looking at the pictures is great.  And, this one on the cover is my favorite.
   Vittorio Matteo Corcos (1859-1933) was an Italian artist from Florence who built his career as a genre portrait painter and occasionally did illustrations for magazines. This work is titled: Traume, or Dreams.  It is oil on canvas, 62.9" x 53" and is part of the collection of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, in Rome.  It was painted in 1896.
The woman is Elena Vecchi, the daughter of a friend of Corcos.
   Men have been painting women forever, and the ones I particularly love are the women with an attitude.  Look at her, how can you not?  She is looking straight at us, daring to engage us.  Her hair is a little wind blown, eyes half open, a serious expression.  We can only speculate where she has been or going, but the books indicate she reads.  Leaves in the foreground suggest it is fall, and she is resting, maybe waiting for a ride home or back to the library to exchange books.   A serious young woman, wanting to engage us, 124 years ago.
   The composition is wonderful.  Rectangular panels stretch horizontally, and the beautiful ivy draped across the top add a perfect cap.  The color scheme is basically complementary: green and red/orange.   She covers the right half and is balanced by her bench, books, parasol and hat which are essential to tease us to complete the story.
   Make Art a part of your day, it's a beautiful thing to do. 

Comments

  1. charguthJanuary 14, 2020 at 8:25 AM

    I love this one. I had to look up Corcos, and viewing his wonderful portraits accompanied with classical music was just beautiful!! This daughter of a friend is a strong, confident, and in vogue woman. I like the earthy colors in this painting, and I always appreciate your explanation of the composition. Everything about the painting seems skillfully executed - the folds in her clothing, the background, the foreground, and yes, her attitude!! Love it!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Art Expert On LineJanuary 15, 2020 at 10:30 AM

    NEAT! So great that you love it, too. I find it lots of fun to discover strong images by relatively "forgotten" artists.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JudithMarie5January 20, 2020 at 9:08 AM

    I also love this painting...a confident woman with a brain. The colors are stunningly subtle and engaging. The composition requires studying...the window ledge an important part of the whole. Really restful and beautiful..."I would have this in my living room." (line we art women make when being critical...smirk).

    ReplyDelete

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