Uncompromising Gaze: The Art of Albert Chiarandini O.S.A., F.I.I.A.L.

Abstract

A close analysis of the paintings by Albert Chiarandini inscribed in several genres (portraiture, landscapes and compositions) and evaluated in light of the artist’s life experience, diary reflections, and personal interviews, reveals his fundamental concern for social justice. He chooses to portray the downtrodden with empathy, views important monuments from unusual angles that highlight their unpretentious side, and hints at the menacing conflict inherent in apparently pastoral scenes. His choice of political events and personages (Attila the Hun attacking Aquileia, the FLQ and Women’s Liberation movement in Quebec, the sacrifice of the outspoken Savonarola) underscores his condemnation of war and the suppression of personal freedoms. The artist’s numerous self-portraits and cameo appearances in other paintings are particularly indicative of the essence of Chiarandini’s works: his stance as a freedom fighter and his penetrating gaze into the heart of humankind.