oil and collage on cardboard, 81×54 cm
signed and dated lower right P. Conti 1918
This village road laboriously climbs , its figures encamped in grotesque movements. It retains a fairytale quality, even where the dramatic lines and the predominance of black take on an aggressive pride, a Goyesque sense of funereal seduction. The subject is typically Tuscan and can be found in Soffici or Rosai, but compared to the former, a darting and sinister irony dominates here, and compared to the latter, the universe opens up. The echo of an accordion enters like a hovering musical motif, interrupting not only the rigidity of the composition but its gloomy confinement. Of particular note is the childish graffito on the low wall on the right, introducing a note of fresh grace that once again references poetic art.
