Il Padule | Swamp

The piece, called Il Padule (in English: The Swamp) depicts a panorama of marshes and swamps, with reeds, bulrush, willows and alders growing on the banks and shallows. A narrow boat floats in the middle of the marshland, with a lone fisherman working on its prow. A gentle outline of a misty mountain range is drawn in the distance against a bright sky. The composition reflects the artist's academic background and specialisation in nature. The engraving by Ferdinando Duca Di Sartirana, comes from the album L'acquaforte. Società d'artisti Italiani, Torino 1870, Anno II, Torino, Carlo Lovera 1870. Ferdinando Duca Di Sartirana, or rather Ferdinando Arborio Gattinara di Breme, duke of the lands of Sartirana and Lomellina, and Marquis of Breme, was born in 1807 in Milan. He studied natural sciences in Milan and Turin. A specialist in entomology and ornithology, he was a member of the Academy of Sciences in Turin from 1841. A passionate advocate of art, he was already involved in the circle of artists during his studies and was the author of scientific illustrations and landscape compositions, paintings, and engravings. From 1849 until his death, he was a member of the upper house of parliament of the Kingdom of Sardinia. In 1861 he was awarded the highest honour of the Knights of the Royal Order of the House of Savoy: Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus. He died in Florence in 1869, 2 years after receiving the title of Duke of Sartirana. Ewa Gwiazdowska