The first born

The large oil on canvas, signed on the lower left by Pietro Paietta, portrays the interior of a stable, where a young peasant woman observes a newly born calf, curled up under the manger next to its mother. The peasant woman, standing symmetrically among the cow, wears a blue dress with a blue apron and a white shirt. The patterned kerchief tied around the neck and the bright red stockings on the black clogs stand out. The coats of the two cattles, represented with lively black eyes, are both iridescent due to the effect of the light, whose source is not visible. The universal message of motherhood that unites the human condition with the animal one is translated here thanks to the artist's realist sensitivity who gives new dignity to humble and daily events.