A break in Maremma with a farmer and a team of oxen 1875

Giovanni Fattori painted this small oil on panel sometime in the nineteenth century. The earthy tones evoke the very landscape it depicts. Look closely, and you can practically feel the sun beating down on this scene of rural labor. Fattori masterfully captures the heat and stillness of the Maremma region. The choice of oil paint is key here. It allows for a richness of color and a fluidity in the brushstrokes, suggestive of the shimmering air and the fatigue of the workers. The loose application gives a sense of immediacy, as if the artist captured a fleeting moment. Consider the social context. Fattori wasn’t just painting a pretty picture; he was documenting the lives of the working class in the Italian countryside. The oxen and the workers tell a story of labor, of the rhythms of agricultural life, and of the intimate connection between people and the land. Fattori elevates this scene to the realm of high art. He asks us to consider the value of labor, and the inherent beauty in everyday life.