“La Belle Terra” by Ashley Luna

Inspired by the class “Merchants of the Veneto,” an adventure through the land and culture ofItaly, I developed a love of the country. This piece will hopefully encourage others to appreciate”la belle terra,” the beautiful land, as much as I did.

For the viewer, the details depicted on the canvas showcase the travels of a young woman who makes her way through Italy. The woman is enjoying her day with gelato, a popular Italian frozen dessert while riding in an Italian-made car, Ferrari. This journey has taken her through many towns such as Milan, Venice, and Bassano. Represented by the Duomo di Milano, famous architecture in Venice, and the Mountains in Bassano. Details such as the man in the bottom right corner waving “ciao” represent the comforting and open population of people who reside in Italy. Noticeably, the man is holding a glass of spritz or wine, showing the favored beverage of choice that can be shared between friends over a meal. In the background, paragliders are found overhead the mountains of Bassano, representing the frequent fliers and the activities that can be found in Italy. The colors found in the piece are pulled directly from the Campari ad, 1992 by Milton Glaser, which has been darkened or lightened to bring a variety of the same colors to the painting (with exception for white and black). I used a 30″ X 36″ white stretched canvas, acrylic paints, and brushes to create this painting.

This painting promotes Italy and what can be seen and done in the country. Through the “Merchants of the Veneto” class, my peers and I learned the different forms of marketing from various fashion designers, Campari advertisements, and other ways of promoting companies or products. This painting aimed to show Italy’s highlights and encourage travel to the country. With the fun, bright colors and the warm atmosphere, the painting gives off the excitement Italy deserves.

I, as the painter of this piece, shared my travels when participating in a study abroad during the May term. This two-week trip took place in May of 2024 and was led by Professors Mark Green and Marzia Corni-Benson. With a group of thirty, we enjoyed our time spent in Italy and I hope you are inspired to explore the greatness of Italy.