Date
1861-1870
Object Type
Photograph
Subject
Salvatore Grita, sculptural group depicting civilian victims of the bombing during the Palermo uprising of 27–30 May 1860 by the Garibaldini.
Holding institution
Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera
About The Work
The photographic reproduction of 27 May 1860, a work by Salvatore Grita, is recorded in the collection of the Brera Academy of Fine Arts among the bequest of the painter Francesco Hayez, received between 1867 and 1870. The photographed sculptural group depicts the civilian victims of the bombardment during the uprising of Palermo, carried out by the Garibaldian forces between 27 and 30 May 1860. The monument consists of a round platform on which lie the bodies of several nude boys, arranged around a pillar wrapped in a flag. Salvatore Grita, a Sicilian sculptor engaged with social themes, conceived this work as a denunciation intended to stir the conscience of governments, so that such bloodshed of innocents would never be repeated—even in the face of an ambitious project such as the creation of the Kingdom of Italy. In its conception, Grita drew inspiration both from the artistic current of the Macchiaioli and from Realism. The work was first presented in his studio in January 1867. Initially intended to become his major work, it was later shown in Naples in 1877 and in Turin in 1884, where it was positively received by critics. However, it was never executed in bronze or marble, and the original model, along with the preparatory sketches, is now lost. The photograph cannot be attributed to a specific photographic studio, although another print is preserved at the Civic Museum of Caltagirone. The connections between Salvatore Grita and Francesco Hayez remain largely unclear, but this image—accompanied by a dedication—forms a point of contact between the two ends of the peninsula, with art, mutual esteem, and shared sensibility cementing an artistic and political bond.
Title
Salvatore Grita, The night of 27 May 1860 in Palermo
Subject
Salvatore Grita, sculptural group depicting civilian victims of the bombing during the Palermo uprising of 27–30 May 1860 by the Garibaldini.
Creator
Unidentified photographer
Date
1861-1870
Object Type
Photograph
Technique / Support
Albumen print
Original Function
Documentation / teaching tool
Dimensions
mm 99x134
Holding institution
Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera
Unique identifier
ICCD_MIDF_8725142990771