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Festa Nazionale (National Holiday)

Italian 19th Century

1803

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century Allegory

Dominant colour

Festa Nazionale (National Holiday) is a 1803 ink by Italian 19th Century, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Italian 19th Century
When & what style?: 1803 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This etching shows a crowded outdoor celebration with a big stage and columns in the background. People in old-fashioned clothes stand, sit, and cheer while musicians play and riders on horseback move through the scene. The stage has statues on top, and the whole setting looks like a mix of a parade and a big public event. Notice the text at the bottom: it says this was published on June 26, 1803, in a place called the *Foro Bonaparte*—that’s the only clue here about when or where this happened. If you like this busy, dramatic style, look up etching to see how artists made detailed prints like this.