Tramonto 2001

Antonio Corpora made this watercolor painting, titled "Tramonto", meaning sunset in Italian. Painted in the latter half of the 20th century, it embodies the shift from representational to abstract art, a movement that powerfully reflected postwar cultural shifts. Abstract art moved away from traditional visual codes, as artists sought new ways to represent reality. In Italy, the rise of abstraction coincided with a period of intense social and political change, as the nation rebuilt itself after World War II. Artists like Corpora questioned the role of art in a rapidly changing world, experimenting with form and color to express new understandings of space and perception. "Tramonto" uses bold color palettes that evoked raw emotion. The historian's role is to situate the artwork within its cultural moment by exploring manifestos, artists' writings, and critical reviews. Understanding abstraction requires us to appreciate its dialogue with tradition, and its challenge to the established norms of the art world.