Rosso Inglese 1923

Curator: The presentation of "Rosso Inglese," manufactured by Antonio Buonamici, offers a fascinating entry point into the world of art materials and their historical significance. Editor: It's quite striking how the warm, earthy pigment contrasts with the manufactured color chart, as if nature is being presented against artifice. Curator: Indeed. I wonder about the source of the pigment, its trade routes, and the colonial implications of the name "Rosso Inglese" – what did it mean for English red to be produced in Florence in 1923? Editor: It makes me consider the labor involved, the mining, grinding, and processing of the raw materials. This small bottle holds an entire chain of human and natural resources. Curator: Absolutely, and that makes me question the gendered dynamics within its production and consumption, were these paints more often utilized by men or women at the time? Editor: Seeing them side by side like this, I see how constructed all colors are, how pigments are extracted, refined, bottled, and ultimately bought. Curator: I agree. It’s not merely about the color itself, but the narratives, power structures, and processes intertwined with its existence. Editor: Exactly, and by unpacking these layers, we begin to understand the social construction that occurs even before the brush touches the canvas.