I’ve been a collage maker for most of my life, have boxes and boxes of assorted materials, things I’ve collected, torn from magazines, etc. I have no idea where this is from, but I ripped it out long ago and kept it. And I love it.
I love the scene, the seafood, the eggs, the vegetables (are those cardoons in the front right?), the olives, the people, the bare light bulbs, and especially the loaded moment of the encounter that is just about to happen between the man in the yellow shirt and the woman with the bags and the nice bum.
In its day, I’d guess this would have been thought of as a market, not a farmers market or a specialist market or even, probably, an alternative to a supermarket. It just WAS. WHERE people bought their food. Something to re-envision.
Wish I were there.
Where do we think it takes place? Italy? Spain? Portugal?
And wouldn’t it be wild if a reader were to know more about this picture– who painted it, where I might have seen it originally, etc.
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A mere few hours later: I am truly blown away. My friend Vohn, who blogs here, has identified the painter as Renato Guttoso and this scene as located in the famous Vucciria market of Palermo in Sicily. Further point of interest: a google search on the image of this particular painting lead me to another WordPress blog called OrganizedMagnificenceGlory that pictures the same scene realised in a slightly different style. The mystery continues.
PS 22 Jan 2015– if y0u happen up0n this page, make sure t read this update.
Kitchen Counter Culture 
I love it – tells me a story each time l look at it – Bravo
Well wowee – I don’t think this has ever happened to me before! Someone asking about a painting and me knowing the answer! I love this too Annie. It is of the Vucciria market in Palermo, Sicily and was painted by Renato Guttuso. I think we need a trip to Sicily! Vohn x
Vohn– That is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. Thank you so much.
Love it. Love that Vohn was able to identify it for you Annie
My pleasure Annie! I am truly glowing that I was able to help ID a piece of artwork! Thanks too for the link back to my blog – very kind. See you in Sicily! Vohn x
I love this. Wonderful.
The scene reminds me of crowded markets I visited in the middle east. Barely room to squeeze through amid the food. Imagine the wonderful smells. 🙂
I visited this Market 2012 March. I was so fortunate to book an apartment for one week at the beginning of the market. Early morning hearing the sounds of the stall holders setting up their stalls was magic. There is no mistaking this market from the painting. The bare lamp bulbs……I still gave the vision in my mind
[…] in London was fascinating for me. I try to write about artists whose work interests me when I encounter them. If you hear about exhibitions on food politics, or artists interested in these kind of themes, […]
Reblogged this on Kitchen Counter Culture and commented:
Oh my, just learned there’s an exhibition in London of this painters work. http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/jan/12/renato-guttuso-estorick-collection-review-communist-marilyn-monroe And who knew he illustrated Elizabeth David’s Italian Food?
Oh, I love the carcasses, cheese… and look at the size of the shrimp! It reminds me of meat just hanging out in the open like that in Ecuador, for people to buy. They call it mosquito meat as the mosquitoes would just hover and take a drink. Love this!
The original – which is absolutely huge – hangs in Palazzo Steri in Palermo now. A professor at Palermo University had it hidden away in his room for decades, imagine that!
The man in the yellow jumper is Renato Guttuso (the artist) himself, and the old woman in black is his wife: in the picture he showed her as much older than she really was. The three women in white, red and green dresses are all his mistress, shown from three different angles, and portrayed as much younger than she actually was. In reality she was the same age as his wife.
Guttuso lived most if his life in Rome and missed a lot of the foods you can only get in Sicily, so he had a phase of painting food along with women, his two great sensual pleasures.
This market was founded by the North African invaders of Sicily over 1,000 years ago and flourished like a chaotic souk for ten centuries. Sicilians say “it was a vucciria” the way we in English say “It was bedlam” or “It was a madhouse”.
Very recently the Vucciria has become lacklustre and quite empty, but there are other street markets in Palermo, as old as the Vucciria, which are still like this.
Thank y0u s0 much f0r this input. I l0ve the capacity 0f the internet t0 aggregate pe0ple and kn0wledge.
Wonderful
!!!