Giuseppe Costantini, “the Mathematics Lesson,” Oil On Canvas, 19th Century Era

Giuseppe Costantini, “The Mathematics Lesson,” oil on canvas, 19th century era

Artwork description:

Giuseppe Costantini, The Math Lesson, Oil on canvas, Size 47 x 64 cm, Signed

The work depicts a class of children of humble origins immersed in a math lesson. The setting is rustic, probably a rural or village school, with bare walls and rough floor, but rich in details that render the everyday life of that time.
The teacher is placed from behind, recognizable by the stick he holds behind his back: he is observing a pupil as he writes at the blackboard, under the eyes of his other classmates, some attentive and others distracted or amused, watching him.

The painting belongs to nineteenth-century Italian genre painting, which aimed to depict episodes of everyday life, with a focus on popular settings, often with an ironic or affectionately critical vein.
Costantini shows great narrative and descriptive skill, and a skillful use of light and color to highlight the characters and details of the environment.

The work was exhibited in 2016 at the “Pittori dell'800” exhibition at the Fogliato Art Gallery in Turin, an important retrospective on 19th-century Italian figurative art.

The same work produced on board and to a different extent can be found INDIRE - National Institute for Documentation, Innovation and Educational Research under the title: “The Village School”