Last Days (Giorni Ultimi)

Angelo Morbelli (1853-1919) was a leading pioneers of the Divisionist movement and well-known for his artworks focusing on the realities of the societies. Birthed in Savona, he pursued his studies at the Brera Academy, Milan. Here, a new bud of interest sprouted— everyday life in full honesty and sensitivity. All through his career, his focus was on themes of labour, poverty, old age, and social inequality, that portrayed the older generation residing in charitable hospices with significant empathy. He adopted the Divisionism art style in a manner that allowed him to combine scientific colour theory along with emotional storytelling. Morbelli’s paintings depicted the dignity of human life and the harsh realities of modern society. The art technique of Divisionism came into play in the late 19th century and was entirely based off of the scientific theory of light and colour. Artists started off by applying tiny strokes of pure colour alongside each other instead of mixing those colours on a palette. They purely relied on the viewer’s eye capacity to blend them, creating an eminent vibrancy and depth. “Giorni Ultimi” else known as “Last Days”, painted in 1883, is one of Angelo Morbelli’s most significant works in his early life. It is such as the start of his long relationship with the people living at the Pio Albergo Trivulzio, a retirement house in Milan. The artwork showcases a big hall, crowded with elderly men and women. They are all sitting on long wooden benches that are placed in neat rows— almost too neat. Some are sleeping, some are praying, some are reading, and then there are those who simply sit there in utter silence, as if they have spiralled deep in their own thoughts. Morbelli seems to offer a quiet but strong look at old age with such minute gestures, the stage of life when you are mostly lonely. The piece is done in a medium of oil on canvas, fitting in the Social Realism tradition. Although this artwork was done by Morbelli before he fully reached his Divisionist phase, his early urge to play with color and tonal separation is quite noticeable. The palette is significantly inclined towards warm browns and ochres, so the entire room feels heavy and grounded. Similarly, the contrast between the black clothing and the lit-up faces draws the viewers’ attention towards the emotional weight coming forward by itself. The interior is drawn with careful perspective— a slightly lifted viewpoint, a choice that choice the room feel vast, while the people inside feel smaller, more detached, and more alone. It was awarded by the Brera Academy and later it even won a gold medal at the 1889 Paris Universal Exposition. “Giorni Ultimi” then becomes a kind of base point for the later series created by Morbelli— “Il Poema della Vecchiaia” (“The Poem of Old Age”). At the end, that chain of works transforms into one of the most powerful explorations of ageing in Italian art, something that is not loud but impossible to forget.