Aestas 

Carlo Maria Mariani created this figurative painting called Aestas, which means summer in Latin, employing traditional oil on canvas techniques. The smooth, almost porcelain-like skin of the reclining figure is testament to Mariani’s skill, and the oil paint lends itself to a soft and luminous treatment. But it's not just the look of this painting that's remarkable, it's the labor involved. Building up layers of translucent glazes requires time, precision, and patience. And this isn't just manual labor, but skilled work steeped in a canon of art history. It evokes a tradition of academic painting, where technical virtuosity was highly valued, and artistic training was an arduous, disciplined undertaking. Paying attention to the materials and processes of art, we can better appreciate the cultural values embedded in it. Mariani's painting reminds us that fine art traditions are also the product of craft and labor, inviting us to question the hierarchies we often impose on creative practices.