Renzo Cordiviola - Undervolta by Carlo Pisano

The urban landscape was already a popular subject in the Middle Ages and the Modern Era, but predominantly in an idealized manner. Scenes of city life became typical themes with a more realistic interpretation starting in the 19th century. It's worth remembering how, immediately following the realist movements of the 19th century, the Impressionists also placed great emphasis on the everyday, on everyday life, with a certain predilection, however, for the frenetic pace of the city, its crowds, traffic, and typically bourgeois settings.

These etchings by Renzo Cordiviola demonstrate the Genoese artist's advanced technique and shed light on his approach to landscape painting. First, from a technical standpoint, we can appreciate Cordiviola's skill in using elegant black hatching to create extremely detailed depictions. There's a perfect perception of perspective space, and objects are volumetrically delineated. What's most striking is the richness and precision of the details, even in the distribution of shadows. All of this—that fantastical illustration quality—contributes to the poetic quality of these Cordiviola's views. This sensation is further enhanced by the composition, which, built on diagonal cuts, gives the image a dreamy, lopsided quality, reminiscent of a fairytale setting.

Renzo Cordiviola was born in Parma in 1910 and passed away in Genoa in 2000. Genoese by adoption, he moved to the Ligurian capital in 1912. He would become one of the most beloved interpreters of his city's landscapes. He was also much loved by the Genoese for his histrionic personality. Mostly self-taught, although he had attended private courses, in 1928 he entered Monguzzi's engraving workshop. He remained there for five years, after which he devoted himself to painting, using primarily oil and tempera, but also watercolor and ink. From the 1960s onwards, he achieved considerable commercial success.

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