THE MISTERY OF A WOMAN: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DEPICTED IN A FRESCO

23 Jul THE MISTERY OF A WOMAN: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DEPICTED IN A FRESCO

Sensual and enchanting like a sunset on the beach, elegant and refined in a beautiful dress, wild and mysterious, playful and funny. Art has always depicted women – a subject much loved by artists throughout the centuries – in many different forms and guises, appreciated by our eyes that dream and fantasize while admiring a beautiful woman. To pay homage to these splendid creatures we decided on showing you five frescoes of women created by Mariani’s artists. These works were inspired by very different artists, who nonetheless had one thing in common: great insight and interpretation of the subject being depicted.

A fresco by Mariani inspired by the painting "Evening Mood" by William A. Bouguereau (1825-1905)

The captivating woman in the first fresco, intriguing and enigmatic like an evening at the beach, is based on the work by the French painter Adolphe William Bouguereau (La Rochelle 1825-La Rochelle 1905). The painting portrays all the power of the woman’s body, which is contrasted by the light and mystery of the background. The women of Giovanni Boldini (Ferrara 1842-Paris 1931) date back to the same period, but are very different. The critic Tiziano Panconi gives us a foretaste. “Boldini’s women are graceful and uninhibited. They freely display their learned beauty and affirm their self-determination of mature and emancipated individuals when undressed, completely aware of their femininity”.

Great painters know how to emphasise the most interesting aspects of a theme, especially when dealing with a complex and fascinating universe like that of a woman. A subject much loved by another great artist called Gustav Klimt (Vienna 1862-Neubau 1918).

Klimt’s women in a fresco by the Mariani artists

The women in the famous painting “Water Serpents II” are captivating and sinuous. This extraordinary painting is full of symbols evoking the legend of the siren, of women as a force of nature.

The women depicted by the great Dutch painter who lived during the late 19^th century and early 20th century, Alma Tadema (Leeuwarden 1836-Wiesbaden 1912) are more candid and light-hearted. The fresco created in the Mariani laboratory recaptures all the refined details of the original painting, a work full of romanticism and emotional intensity.

The women of Alma Tadema are candid and carefree in this beautiful fresco by Mariani

The last fresco by Alfons Maria Mucha (Ivančice 1860 – Prague 1939) (Ivančice 1860 – Prague 1939) depicts a completely different woman. The works of this artist are extremely refined: a sharp line outlines all his figures – almost always female (maybe because their shape is more elegant) – whatever pose they assume. M.Z.

A clear line outlines the figures of Mucha in a fresco by a Mariani artist