ALESSANDRA MARRUCCHI | 2ND PLACE
2025 PORTRAITS COMPETITION

Italian artist Alessandra Marrucchi has earned recognition as a gifted painter, working in the tradition of realism through portraits, figurative compositions, and still lifes. Based in Florence, she has spent years honing her craft, studying both in the United States and Italy —including at the esteemed Studio Simi, which she regards as the foundation of her artistic training.

Her dedication and perseverance have led to numerous awards, widespread exhibitions, features in art publications, and a steady stream of portrait commissions.

We spoke with Marrucchi about how she approaches her art.

You trained at Studio Simi under the guidance of Nerina “Nera” Simi. What was it like to learn in that environment?

After 1968, art academies had largely abandoned classical training – which is what I was looking for – focusing instead on self-management and free creativity.

My encounter with Nerina Simi at Simi Studio was a turning point that led me to devote myself entirely to art. It was a remarkable place, attracting students from all over the world who came to learn the classical foundations of drawing and oil painting. I studied there for six years, until I felt ready to begin my own independent artistic career.

In that studio, the most fascinating thing was finding oneself. It was like a dream of drawing and painting in a nineteenth century classical academy The beautiful paintings covering the walls like those of a museum, the pendulum clock marking the model’s breaks, the wood stove, and the silence — everything contributed to conveying the solemnity of the opportunity we had been given: to breathe within an environment completely imbued with art.

I can still see Miss Simi, then an elderly woman, moving among the easels in her black apron —born in 1890, the daughter of a great painter — as she passed on her knowledge to us, with sharp intelligence and talent.

You’ve spoken about the importance of tradition. What does tradition mean to you—not just technically, but emotionally?

I believe that studying everything that came before us is essential to truly understand the present. From artistic tradition, one can draw valuable lessons that offer a broader and more complete vision, and thus a greater ability to pursue one’s own personal artistic research.

Your work has been described as classical realism. How would you describe your style?

When I stand before what I wish to represent, I allow myself to be deeply moved, as if stripped of all defenses. I let myself be captured by the image, seeking to draw from it the fullest possible expressive, poetic, and artistic meaning.

A kind of fusion takes place between myself and the subject I observe — a union of two souls that I try to embody in a single form, as real and three-dimensional as possible. This happens through a long process of refinement, day after day, relying not only on my technical knowledge but also on the sum of visual and sensory experiences that make me who I am today. The time this process requires does not matter; what truly matters is the final result.

The eyes are naturally the primary channel of connection between myself and the subject, although the overall expression arises from many other small yet essential details.

Just as the painting itself takes shape slowly, I like to think that the viewer, too, perceives the depth and complexity of what is expressed within it. If the first thing to capture their attention is the gaze, I hope they will then feel the desire to pause and discover the rest, little by little. Every detail plays a role in the whole, even if it is not immediately apparent at first glance.

When you begin a portrait, how do you decide which expression to capture?

Dialogue is certainly very important, as is observing the subject’s different expressions and movements during the sitting, in order to understand the person I am portraying as fully as possible. I try to combine the image the subject wishes to convey with what moves me personally.

My intention is to avoid a purely photographic pose; instead, I seek to represent that personality which, through a thousand small details, gradually reveals itself before me and that I wish to bring to life on the canvas.

I also prefer to portray the subject in their own environment — at home or at work — where everything that surrounds them speaks of who they are and helps me to understand their nature more deeply.

You use only natural north light in your studio. What does that light do for your palette, your mood, or your sense of time while painting?

Yes, this is a fundamental aspect of my work. I feel the need and the beauty of beginning with daylight, even when it is not direct, and of stopping when evening falls. It is a natural rhythm that guides me and gives me the right pace for my work.

The colors in that light are wonderful, and the feeling of peace, harmony, and serenity allows me to take refuge in a perfect world — one where I imagine my hand cannot make mistakes, because any error would stand out like a false note, immediately visible to my eyes.

You’ve said you always paint from life, never from photos. What does that choice offer you in terms of connection or truth?

Painting from life is essential for me: only in this way can I truly perceive the figure, understand its anatomy, form, and the meaning of every detail the eye captures — together with the most important aspect, emotional involvement.

In commissioned portraits, when it is not possible for the sitters to pose for the entire time required, I find it useful to take a few photographs myself during the first or second sitting. These images allow me to continue working even in the subject’s absence, especially to define the background or the details of the clothing.

All images © Alessandra Marrucchi, shared with permission