La Speranza c. 19th century

Editor: Here we have Giovanni Buonafede's "La Speranza". The woman's expression is serene, almost pleading. What narratives do you see in this work? Curator: It's interesting to consider "hope" in the context of 19th-century Italian society. What role was assigned to women, and how might this image of hope reflect or challenge those expectations? Is this "hope" passive acceptance, or a quiet act of resistance? Editor: I never thought about it that way. It definitely adds a layer of complexity to the piece. Curator: Exactly. We have to analyze the work through the lenses of gender, class, and the sociopolitical climate of the time. It is never just about aesthetics, but it is about power, and agency.