Ansicht von Genzano mit der Kirche Santa Maria della Cima 1885

Oswald Achenbach painted this view of Genzano with the church Santa Maria della Cima, capturing a bustling Italian street scene. This work reflects the 19th-century European fascination with Italy, a place seen as both the cradle of Western civilization, and a site of daily life that was imagined as somehow more "authentic" than the rapidly industrializing cities of the North. Achenbach was known for his landscape paintings, which often romanticized nature and the lives of the working class. In this painting, the figures are mostly women and appear engaged in trade and labor. The work emphasizes the social fabric of the town and its integration with religious life, as the church looms over the square. Consider the whiteness of the buildings contrasting against the labour of the people. Do you see an implicit commentary on the socio-economic structures of the time? As you observe the painting, think about how Achenbach invites us to see both the beauty and the everyday realities of 19th-century Italian life.