Portret van Giuseppe Garibaldi 1849

Alphonse Farcy made this print of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Farcy’s portrait reflects Garibaldi’s role in Italian unification. But it also raises questions about whose stories are told in the making of a nation. Garibaldi, a military figure, became a symbol for a unified Italy, yet his image often overshadows the diverse experiences of Italians during this transformative period. The print suggests a conventional depiction of a national hero. What is the cost of projecting a single, heroic identity onto a diverse population? How does this representation affect our understanding of Italian identity?