Untitled 

Angelo Zoffoli painted this untitled oil on canvas during the late 19th or early 20th century. In it, we see a gathering of people around a table, reminiscent of the Rococo era. Zoffoli, working in Italy, seems to be looking back to 18th-century France, an era marked by aristocratic excess and social inequality, but also, a peak in art, philosophy and culture. The clothing and interior design reflect a fascination with a bygone era. What does it mean for Zoffoli to revisit this scene of leisure and intellectual exchange, and to do so during a period of intense social and political change in Italy? Is this an idealized vision of the past? A critique of contemporary society? The emotional ambiguity of the scene leaves space for these questions. Ultimately, the painting serves as a reminder of the complex relationship between history, memory, and identity, and it invites us to reflect on the legacies of the past in the present.