Woman with roses 

Filippo Indoni painted this oil on canvas, entitled 'Woman with Roses,' sometime in the late 19th century. The painting invites us into the world of Italian art academies of the time. It presents a woman in classical garb, an aesthetic that draws heavily on idealized forms of antiquity. This aesthetic was taught in the academies, which were powerful institutions for artistic training at the time. However, in Indoni's work, we see a challenge to the traditional academic style. The woman, with her bare feet, departs from the highly finished, polished style typical of academic painting. Instead, Indoni seems to embrace a more naturalistic approach, perhaps even critiquing the rigid norms of the art establishment. Art historians might look at exhibition records, critiques and other writings of the time to better understand its place in the cultural landscape of late 19th century Italy. By studying the social and institutional contexts, we can gain a deeper understanding of its meaning and impact.