Giovanni Fattori stars in an exhibition in Piacenza to mark the bicentenary of his birth


From March 29 to June 29, 2025 XNL Piacenza dedicates an exhibition to Giovanni Fattori. Produced on the occasion of the bicentennial of his birth, it aims to rediscover the figure of Fattori through a new key to understanding the artist and his production.

From March 29 to June 29, 2025, XNL Piacenza-Centro per le arti contemporanee della Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano dedicates an exhibition to Giovanni Fattori, a central figure of the Macchiaioli movement and among the most significant artists of the nineteenth-century European painting scene: Giovanni Fattori 1825-1908. The Genius of the Macchiaioli, curated by Fernando Mazzocca, Giorgio Marini and Elisabetta Matteucci, produced by Dario Cimorelli Editore and realized with the support of the Banca di Piacenza, in collaboration with the Ricci Oddi Gallery of Modern Art, the City of Livorno and the Livorno Foundation. The exhibition, held on the occasion of the bicentenary of his birth and the forthcoming publication of the catalog raisonné edited by Giuliano Matteucci, aims to rediscover the figure of Fattori through a new key to interpreting the artist and his production, highlighting his originality and uniqueness in the context of 19th-century Italian art.

Giovanni Fattori was able to excel in every artistic genre. From his early experiments with the macchia technique, which revolutionized the traditional aesthetic canons of the 19th century, to his intense portraits, landscapes painted en plein air, scenes of peasant life and views of the Maremma, a region that embodied that rural world so beloved by the artist and contrasted with the frenzy of the modern city. Also prominent among his works are depictions of military subjects, both in the solemn and grandiose battles of the Wars of Independence and in the more intimate moments of garrison life. In the face of disappointment at the failure of many hopes placed in the Unification of Italy, his production is distinguished by the absence of celebratory rhetoric, revealing deep ethical reflection. It is precisely this consistency and authenticity that make Fattori one of the most significant witnesses of the Italian Risorgimento.

A special focus in the exhibition will be devoted to his graphic production, consisting of etchings that demonstrate his ability to innovate artistic language through a technique complementary to painting. Thanks to the collaboration with theIstituto Centrale per la Grafica in Rome, unpublished drawings and etchings will be on display that aim to document the artist’s stylistic evolution and his impact on 20th-century Italian graphics.



The exhibition also benefits from the contribution of the Matteucci Institute of Viareggio and Milan, which will provide a selection of works representative of Fattori’s production, from the “macchia” period to developments anticipating artistic trends of the following century.
Fattori’s legacy profoundly influenced twentieth-century culture, as shown by critical essays and works by Ugo Ojetti, Emilio Cecchi and Giorgio de Chirico. His works also inspired Italian cinema, influencing directors such as Luchino Visconti, who captured his visual style in masterpieces such as Senso (1954) and The Leopard (1963).

The exhibition concludes with a section devoted to the contemporary, in which the work of photographer Elger Esser will offer an unprecedented visual reflection. His photographs, characterized by a remarkable balance between landscape and historical memory, establish a profound dialogue with Fattori’s 19th-century naturalism. This comparison of different eras enriches the exhibition.

The Art of XNL program is promoted by Rete Cultura Piacenza, which includes the Foundation of Piacenza and Vigevano, the Municipality and Province of Piacenza, the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Chamber of Commerce of Emilia and the Diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio.

For info: www.xnlpiacenza.it

Pictured: Giovanni Fattori, In vedetta. The White Wall (c. 1874; Trissino, Fondazione Progetto Marzotto) © Fondazione Progetto Marzotto, Trissino

Giovanni Fattori stars in an exhibition in Piacenza to mark the bicentenary of his birth
Giovanni Fattori stars in an exhibition in Piacenza to mark the bicentenary of his birth


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