#pier celestino gilardi

[conformi]

Sean Gallup, Police cover the body of Carlo Giuliani, Genoa, Italy, 20 July 2001 VS Luigi Marchesi and Pier Celestino Gilardi, Jesus wrapped in the shroud | Chapel 41, Sacro Monte di Varallo, Varallo, Italy, 1826

[books0977]

A Visit to the Gallery (1877). Pier Celestino Gilardi (Italian, 1837-1905). Oil on canvas. UMMA.

Elegantly dressed women in 19th century attire whisper and titter about the sculpture of Venus de’ Medici, in a fleeting pose as she unsuccessfully attempts to cover her nude body in a gesture of modesty. Gilardi, who depicts Venus’s back, reveals her front side reflected in a mirror, enabling the viewer to see both it and the expressions of the women, creating a witty commentary on the prudish social mores of 19th century puritanical society.