The painter Tommasi painting in the garden 1885

Silvestro Lega’s ‘The painter Tommasi painting in the garden’ is made from oil on canvas. Lega has recorded a fellow artist at work, showing us the practicalities of open-air painting. Tommasi, shielded from the sun, sits on a simple chair before his easel, palette in hand. The scene is a snapshot of the artistic process, the labour involved in translating observation onto canvas. Consider how Lega uses the materiality of oil paint. He employs a restrained palette and loose brushwork to create a sense of immediacy, capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere. The textures he creates – dappled sunlight, foliage, and the artist’s white shirt, contrast with the dark canvas. The painting also touches on the social context of artmaking. The image highlights the tools of the trade – the parasol, easel, and brushes, essential for artists working en plein air. These tools suggest a certain level of economic privilege, where one can devote time and resources to aesthetic pursuits. Lega’s painting, therefore, not only captures a moment in time, but also hints at the social and economic conditions that make such artistic endeavors possible.