Il bersaglio 1928

Carlo Carra made this painting, titled ‘Il bersaglio’, with oil on canvas. The muted browns and blues and yellows make me think that Carra was trying to capture the sun-drenched stillness of a summer's day. I can imagine him squinting at the scene before him, trying to capture the way the light bounces off the buildings and the leaves. He probably mixed his colors slowly, intuitively adjusting until he achieved the exact shade he wanted. It's interesting to imagine the mental space of an artist like Carra, working in a time of such social upheaval. What was he trying to say with this image of this funny, ramshackle building? I see something both playful and a little bit unsettling in the composition of the building. It’s like he is saying that painting can allow you to be in two places at once: in the world, and in your head.