A Man seated and Asleep

This oil painting on wood panel is done by Giuseppe Abbati, an Italian artist from Naples. A member of the Macchiaioli group of artists who specialized in capturing color, shade, and natural light. They borrowed from the French impressionists and usually painted outdoors. Their works however were completed later; with aid from primary studies and drawings. This piece too reflects Abbati's prowess at painting figures with bold values and contrasts. In the painting we can see a man seated in slumber. He is dressed in bright warm and cool tones. The artist has used contrasting dull cool tones in the background to bring the audiences' eyes on the subject matter. Shadow covers the man's eyes as he supports his resting head with his right arm. The overall lighting of this painting suggests that this piece depicts a scene of a dull room with an overarching light-source ahead of painted figure. The man seems to be slacking off after a long day of labor. This is reflected by not only the fact that he is dozing off while being seated but also from the state of his clothes - all reflecting the hours passed. What is really remarkable is the artist's ability to guide viewer's attention - the subtle red of the inside of his shirt. A bright patch of color bringing our attention straight to his stature. Other interesting details include, the choice of material - the wood panel adds character to the overall scene, enhancing the tonal affect with its rough ridges; the man being seated on a chair which is turned sideways - this suggests that he is tired and supposedly turned this way to support his back with the wall; and lastly the overall treatment of color in the foreground - the dull color of the left hand resting on his knee is intentional so as to not divert the viewer's attention. Abbati in this painting has successfully conveyed the occasional and raw heaviness of everyday life with his stylistic prowess of capturing contrast.