Alessandra Marrucchi

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Alessandra Marrucchi is an Italian painter based in Florence. Her works are beautiful examples of traditional realism. She studied art extensively, including six years at the renowned Studio Simi in Florence, and for decades now her award-winning paintings have been showcased in competitions and exhibitions, and featured in numerous publications. We recently asked her to tell us about her background and paintings.

Alessandra Marrucchi, Left: Self Portrait with Pearl Earring, oil. Right: Margherita, oil

Is your process different when painting portraits and still lifes?

When I paint a portrait, I try to bring the person in front of me to life. Then I can immerse myself in the reproduced image on the canvas and develop it as I please, focusing on what struck me about them when I was observing them and chatting. I try to make the image not only realistic, but also poetic and artistic. This is the most beautiful and fascinating part of the work.

In my still lifes, on the other hand, I gather fabrics and objects, as well as plants and leaves which become the living, growing, and sprouting element in the painting. I compose all of this on a slanted plane that represents a stage on which the characters tell a story. I want to create a harmonious composition which conveys a sense of peace.

STILL LIFE - Allessandra Marracchi - francesca

Alessandra Marrucchi, Left: Two Self Portraits and a Lot of Life in the Middle, oil. Right: Francesca, oil

In your painting, Surrender, what were you trying to communicate?

Surrender was created during the Gulf War in 1991 that coincided with the fear of losing my daughter due to a high-risk pregnancy. I gathered the bedspread and sheets from my bed, shaping them into the form of a woman's body that a rope ties together with a white cradle sheet. The rope, often present in my paintings, represents an unsettling presence, a symbol of connection but also of suffering; but the ivy plant gives a sense of hope.

Painting difficult moments I've gone through helps me accept them and move forward. This is why painting is so important and fundamental for me, it helps me restore balance and serenity in my life.