The Peeling of the Coffee Grains Under a Cow's Paw

What do Italy and Brazil have in common, besides their legendary soccer teams? One word: art! Today we present someone who could play for either country (if painters decided to set up a team): Alfredo Norfini. He was born in Florence in 1867 and left Europe in search of portraying the exuberant fauna, flora, and society of South America. Norfini was not the only one to make this move, of course. The difference, however, is that while other european artists later returned home, Alfredo remained. After spending some time in Argentina, he came to Brazil at the age of 31, where he settled until his death in 1944. Most of his work, like that of today's image—which shows a process of the time for peeling the coffee—is made up of landscapes and the daily representation of rural people and farms, mainly coffee farms, which at the time prospered in Brazil. His work is replete with regional references and simplicity, but without losing what he learned in Italy from his father, who was also a painter. It seems that besides good football, Brazil and Italy can also be proud of this artist and the precision of his work.

- Rute Ferreira