Sparafucile's hostel and view of Mantua

The short life of Somensari obviously determines the small amount of works left by him. This fact, however, enhances the passionate and luminous quality of his work, which allows us to consider the painter as a precursor of the so-called Pittura del Ducato (Painting of the Grand Duchy), a movement composed of painters the same age as him who formed a virtual circle, with the aim of giving new life to Mantuan painting.
His brushwork is in some instances very fluid, composing a very rapid and impressionistic vision. In other cases, such as the one presented here, the vision is robust and not at all mannerist. The so-called Ostello di Sparafucile is depicted at the bottom of a slope covered in snow, with the white roof underlining the geometry of the composition. In the distance we see the lakes, the bridge of San Giorgio and the intact and well-known contour of the Gonzaga city. The organization of the painting is almost expressionist, indeed what is striking in the painting is its force and impact.