Fly of Gabriele D'annunzio over Trieste 1915

Achille Beltrame made this drawing, Fly of Gabriele D'Annunzio over Trieste, using what looks like ink and colored pencil. The colors are faded like an old postcard, and it's clear Beltrame was interested in documenting a specific moment, but the drawing feels immediate, capturing the chaos of war. There's something raw about the materials he uses, nothing is disguised, especially in the contrast between the grey buildings and the coloured streamers. This piece isn’t about perfection; it's about process, what it feels like to witness such an event. The plumes of smoke are expressive, each blob a record of the moment. Think of someone like Hannah Höch, who also used collage and photomontage to express the chaotic environment after World War One, Beltrame understood that art embraces ambiguity, it doesn't provide all the answers.