Church of San Michele in Crespina 1886

Curator: There’s a quiet stillness to this landscape. The muted palette creates a rather melancholic atmosphere, doesn’t it? Editor: Indeed. This is Silvestro Lega’s “Church of San Michele in Crespina,” painted in 1886. Lega was an Italian artist associated with the Macchiaioli movement. You sense a break from academic painting conventions here in favor of observation and a looser style. Curator: The way the light falls on the church facade is really lovely. Notice how Lega uses subtle variations in tone, especially in the walls and rooftops of the church. It is as if to bring this religious establishment down to the secular land. Editor: He was definitely interested in the impressionistic handling of light and shadow that defines plein-air painting. I believe Lega attempts to modernize the relationship of the church within its territory in ways not often explored at the time, as it almost occupies an egalitarian field position within the landscape rather than looming dominantly. Curator: Speaking of the composition, I find the contrast between the structured form of the church and the surrounding, seemingly wild greenery incredibly compelling, no? Editor: Absolutely, which reminds me that the Macchiaioli, despite their engagement with modernity, looked back to the Italian Renaissance in important ways. While embracing spontaneous representation, they also considered the value of tradition. It is why he may choose to offset the architectural silhouette in relation to that unruly terrain, and yet also keep it grounded on solid form, which brings some balance into this painting, however ephemeral the painting might appear. Curator: I’m also fascinated by the low vantage point that makes this painting very personable. What a thoughtful conversation on this particular view that artist enables! Editor: A perspective that firmly establishes the Macchiaioli mission to ground Italy between modernity and tradition. Curator: That definitely explains the rather nostalgic pull in its depiction. Editor: Thank you for joining me as we contemplated the landscape and light in Lega’s striking impression.