New people

Nomellini, Plinio

GAM 1611

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 300; Larghezza: 600

pittura a olio su tela

VIII Esposizione Internazionale Biennale d'Arte di Venezia - Venezia - 1909

Nomellini was a Tuscan painter influenced by the poetics of Symbolism and the technique of Divisionism. In fact, the painting is close to certain works by Gaetano Previati in terms of composition and narrative cut. Moreover, the use of the divided brushstroke that Nomellini shared with other Divisionists, including Giovanni Segantini and Angelo Morbelli, is clearly evident.
The overall tone of "Nuova Gente" is cold: it is dominated in quantity by the grey-blue tones of the sky and the ground. The brightest colours are the orange of the banner, that is found in the brushstrokes scattered in the work and in the flowers and grass leaves. The characters are backlit and thus coloured with dark complexions. The cloudy sky, on the other hand, is very light but not illuminated by sunlight. The work develops horizontally and offers a wide view of the scene, depicting the human procession moving towards the observer's right. Men, women and children are naked and festive and advance amidst flowers and colours. In the centre two men carry a banner formed by a large wreath of flowers while at the head of the procession others hold a red banner that swells in the wind.
The painting was commissioned by the Municipality of Sampierdarena between 1907 and 1908, together with "Il Cantiere"(The Shipyard), for the decoration of the Sampierdarena Town Hall and exhibited in 1909 at the 8th International Biennial Art Exhibition in Venice: these two canvases are true manifestos of the industrial and shipbuilding vocation of the west of Genoa. "Nuova Gente" is part of the collection "Divisionism and Symbolism in Liguria". Rectangular canvas painted in oil and tempera