Simone Moritz

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

"Il padre - Angelo"


During my time as a student I was working as a bartender in an Irish Pub in Florence. That's where I met Angelo, who was one of the clients that has come to the Pub since the first day it opened. Not every day and not to get drunk, but to have a pint of Guinness every now and then after he's finished work. Talking to him it soon turned out he was one of the nicest people around that place. Soon after the birth of his second child I saw him sitting in the corner, very quiet and thoughtful with a look on his face that he's never had before, concerned, disappointed and sad. Asking what happened I got to hear that the company he has been working for for more than 20 years went bankrupt and he had lost his job. He was worried about his family, but also about how much Italy has changed and the future of his two boys. The way he looked conveyed such a strong feeling and touched me so much that I asked him to sit for me for a portrait. I wanted to try to capture that expression of a father being concerned and contemplating about his and his family's situation. Sometimes it's those quiet moments that are showing the most of a true and raw feeling and are the most moving ones. I was honored to paint my friend, and became aware how important it is that every painting should tell a story and be meaningful, nothing in art should be done thoughtless.

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