Italian Midday by Karl Bryullov

In August 1822 Karl and his brother set off for Italy as beneficiaries of the newly founded Society for the Encouragement of the Artists. About this trip different books have contradictory information. One says that the brothers were warned by special instructions against becomeing too keen on the 'low genre', i.e. genre painting. But notwithstanding the Society's warnings, Bryullov applied himself avidly to genre painting, and produced his Italian Morning, Girl Picking Grapes in the Environs of Napes and Italian Midday. The other book says that Tsar Nicolas I himself asked Bryullov to paint Italian Midday.
Anyway, artist's ideas of painting were clearly seen in this work. A young Italian woman is plucking a bunck of grapes amid dense greenery. The gentle outline of her head, shoulders and arms, the colour on her cheeks and the dazzle of moist eyes all sparkle with the joy of life, with a full-blooded awareness of life and with a sense fo being at one with nature. The sun's rays pierce the foliage of the vineyard, flitting over girl's arms. face and clothes. The atmosphere is one of a vital link between man and nature.