The artwork
"The Assault on the Madonna della Scoperta", painted in 1868 in oil on canvas, is now held at the Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori in Livorno.
The work depicts an episode from the Battle of San Martino, fought on 24 June 1859, during the Second Italian War of Independence. It belongs to a series of paintings in which Fattori devoted himself to military and historical themes, driven by his enthusiasm for the redemption of Italy and his desire to illustrate the main battles of the Risorgimento, as he himself recalled in some autobiographical notes.
The painting captures two distinct moments of the battle at once. In the foreground, the artist depicts the General Staff of the Piedmontese army watching the advance of the reinforcements, in particular the artillery with its cannon, decisive elements in the outcome of the battle. In the background, the assault proper takes place near the "Madonna della Scoperta", with mounted soldiers and fallen men on the grassy ground. The outline of a church can also be made out in the distance.
Material of the finest quality
Print on handmade Amalfi paper
Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in)
With frame: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in)
Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges
Frame: light brown beech wood and wood pulp, handmade
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY
The artwork comes with a certificate of authenticity, also on Amalfi paper, signed by the craftsman who made the print.
