Donkeys on a seashore in winter 1884 - 1908

Curator: Brrr, this piece just makes me shiver. There’s such a stark bleakness to it. Editor: It's Giovanni Fattori's "Donkeys on a Seashore in Winter," made sometime between 1884 and 1908. A pretty literal title, wouldn't you say? This is a scene rendered as an etching, so, line by line, the artist built up this rather affecting scene of labor. Curator: Labor is right! I see that poor, saddled donkey standing dutifully by while the others huddle together. It’s as if Fattori captured a moment of respite in a relentless cycle. You can almost feel the wind. Editor: Absolutely, that starkness, I believe, comes directly from the labor-intensive printmaking process, as well as Fattori's approach to Realism and the specific history of the etching itself. The image would be carved, the plate inked and wiped. A manual print would then be made to make multiples of the final artwork for broader consumption and dissemination. It underscores this idea of creating art for the masses, making it more accessible through its production. Curator: But also, it gives the print an inherent roughness, you know? Less polished, more visceral, and immediate. I think that tension is really beautiful: the refined artistic process giving us access to an unvarnished reality. I'm thinking about the wind, for example: that flurry of activity etched into the sky! Editor: I completely agree; Fattori does capture a sense of place here that also stems from Realism. Think about the conditions present when this was made—the burgeoning labor movements across Europe. Perhaps the intention here was to highlight this sense of a shared struggle to survive. It really speaks to the political realities of the late 19th century, through art, nonetheless. Curator: It's a bleak kind of solidarity. And I am still moved by those individual animals huddled together. A shared silence, etched in lines on paper, reaching out across time. It's pretty remarkable. Editor: Definitely makes you appreciate a warm cup of coffee and a crackling fire!