Planting with horses 1956

Editor: So, this is Antonio Ligabue's "Planting with Horses," painted in 1956, using oil paint. It has such a lively feel! What I find striking is the vibrant, almost childlike quality of the depiction. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see Ligabue using the landscape to express his personal and, in many ways, political vision. It reflects the struggles of rural communities against the backdrop of industrializing society, a dynamic profoundly shaping 20th-century Italian identity. Note the imposing horses, symbolic of labor, contrasted with the fragile buildings – are these traditional values being threatened? Editor: That's a fascinating angle. I hadn’t considered the political implications so directly. Do you think his choice of naive art aligns with these social themes? Curator: Absolutely. Ligabue’s naive style allows for a directness of expression, untainted by academic polish. In many ways, that style becomes a form of resistance itself, celebrating authenticity in the face of homogenization. Think of the way folk art has historically given voice to marginalized communities. Does that give you new insights into this artwork? Editor: Yes, definitely! It recontextualizes everything. It moves from just being a nice rural painting to being this commentary of social and political dynamics. Curator: Precisely! And in the dialogue between the foreground’s immediate concerns and the backdrop’s imposing structures, we can understand the tensions inherent to a community finding itself within changing political realities. Editor: Thank you. I really enjoyed having a look at how the broader issues regarding societal change can shape how an artist perceives, but also expresses their message, using rural life. Curator: It’s a poignant illustration of how deeply personal experiences intersect with broader social narratives. Thanks for helping me to reveal how Ligabue lets us rethink rural narratives through a modern scope.