Filippo Indoni, Italian (1800 - 1884)

   In a reaction against the frivolous and unrealistic images of early 19th century Romanticism, artists turned to less glamorous aspects of life and society in search of a direct experience. By 1850, they had formed a relatively cohesive movement that battled for popularity with Romanticism, a far more widespread style. This movement, known as Realism, revolutionized art, and artists took a renewed interest in genre scenes - the everyday activities of middle and lower class citizens that previously had been excluded from the fine arts. Roman-born artist Filippo Indoni embraced this artistic movement, presenting jubilant peasants reaping the rewards of their hard work, thus encouraging viewers to seek aesthetic pleasure in the unheralded members of society and moments of daily living. Realists' work such as Indoni's suggests that the everyday movements of life can be as lovely as the life-changing events.