Federico Zandomeneghi

La leçon de chant (The singing lesson)

Federico Zandomeneghi

Federico Zandomeneghi trained at the academy in Venice and later at the academy in Milan. He travelled between Florence, Venice and Rome getting close to the Macchiaioli experiments before moving to Paris in 1878 where he worked alongside the Impressionists.

Federico Zandomeneghi

Federico Zandomeneghi trained at the academy in Venice and later at the academy in Milan. He travelled between Florence, Venice and Rome getting close to the Macchiaioli experiments before moving to Paris in 1878 where he worked alongside the Impressionists.

He formed a strong friendship with Renoir and Degas and, in 1879, began exhibiting in the group of Independents. He remained in Paris until his death, his canvases being sold at auction for a few coins.

65 x 54,6 cm

Date: 1890
Medium: oil on canvas

Intro

Four female figures of different ages during a singing lesson are depicted in this work. The scene offers a moment of ordinary everyday life in which the figures appear almost frozen in their gestures. The work is characterised by the Divisionist painting technique, with small brushstrokes of colour juxtaposed with each other to create colour fields. The artist experimented with the split-colour technique to achieve a bright, vivid colour, in particular the juxtaposition of bright colours such as the red and blue of the clothes against the uniform brown background.

The work is located at Gallerie d'Italia - Milano.

Four female figures of different ages during a singing lesson are depicted in this work. The scene offers a moment of ordinary everyday life in which the figures appear almost frozen in their gestures. The work is characterised by the Divisionist painting technique, with small brushstrokes of colour juxtaposed with each other to create colour fields. The artist experimented with the split-colour technique to achieve a bright, vivid colour, in particular the juxtaposition of bright colours such as the red and blue of the clothes against the uniform brown background.

The work is located at Gallerie d'Italia - Milano.

Standing out in the foreground, in the centre of the painting, is the teacher with a red chignon, sitting with her back to the viewer, she is sitting at the piano. Three schoolgirls are standing in the background, intent on singing.

The first is portrayed in profile as she sings beside the piano, her brown hair pulled back into a ponytail held in place by a red ribbon.

Almost in the centre, the second pupil, facing the viewer, holds a score: she is the tallest and has blond hair down to her shoulders.

The last figure in the composition is a little girl with half-closed eyes and her head bent downwards.