Herdsman on Horseback (Buttero a cavallo)

Art Historical Context

Giovanni Fattori's *Herdsman on Horseback (Buttero a cavallo)*, created in 1885, captures the rugged essence of rural Tuscany through the figure of a *buttero*—a traditional Maremma herdsman, akin to an Italian cowboy tending livestock on horseback. As a leading member of the Macchiaioli movement, Fattori pioneered plein-air painting in 19th-century Italy, emphasizing natural light and everyday scenes over academic idealism. This intimate print reflects his fascination with the unvarnished lives of the Tuscan countryside, a recurring theme in his oeuvre that bridged Realism and Impressionism. Executed as an etching on textured wove paper, the work showcases Fattori's mastery of printmaking. Etching involves incising lines into a metal plate coated with acid-resistant ground, allowing the acid to etch the design for inking and printing. As an artist's proof, this early impression—trimmed to the plate at just 13 x 9 cm—offered Fattori a personal chance to refine his technique before the full edition. The textured paper enhances the tactile quality, evoking the rough terrain and vitality of the scene. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, acquired through the Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection and Ruth and Jacob Kainen Memorial Acquisition Fund, this modest yet powerful print highlights Fattori's versatility beyond painting, preserving a slice of vanishing Italian pastoral culture for modern viewers.

About the Artist

Giovanni Fattori · 1825–1908

Giovanni Fattori (1825–1908) was born in Livorno and showed such aptitude for drawing that his family redirected him from a planned commercial education to an artistic apprenticeship under the local painter Giuseppe Baldini. In 1846 he moved to Florence, where he studied under Giuseppe Bezzuoli and attended the Academy of Fine Arts. His early work followed the conventions of historical and religio...