ARAROT0297819
Painting by Eleuterio Pagliano
Figures in the Garden, ca. 1860/1870
Oil on canvas. Signed lower center. Eleuterio Pagliano was an engraver and painter of the Romantic period. He is also remembered as a hero of the Milanese Risorgimento, and was thus nicknamed the "painter-soldier." Initially, he focused on historical subjects with a patriotic flavor, but later his work shifted to Romantic subjects, genre scenes of bourgeois daily life, filled with graceful figures engaged in recreational activities. In this work, Pagliano presents a relaxing countryside scene, with gentlemen and ladies relaxing by playing cards or reading, while children play at climbing trees. The soft luminosity, the harmonious colors of the figures, which harmonize with the greenery of the countryside, and the sense of relaxation of the figures stand out, creating an overall scene of serenity and tranquility. The work is presented in a contemporary frame.