L’Abisso 2017

Roberto Ferri painted L’Abisso in the twenty-first century using oil on canvas. The male figure in this contemporary artwork recalls antiquity and the Renaissance but is set against the stark, black background of modern painting. In its composition and chiaroscuro, this is very much a history painting, but a history painting for our time. The Italian Renaissance, from which Ferri draws inspiration, witnessed the emergence of art academies, institutions that codified artistic training and canonized classical ideals. In the present day, the role of art institutions has evolved, but they remain central to the production and reception of art. Does Ferri's traditionalist style represent a critique of the contemporary art world? As art historians, we can investigate the artist’s biography and exhibition history and also analyze the cultural and economic contexts that have made this type of painting popular once again. Studying the institutions that shape art is central to understanding its meaning.