"The Loneliness" is part of the research on the theme of the girl immersed in the silence of nature that Fontanesi led since the 1860s in many works. The painting was presented at the “Promotrice torinese” exhibition of 1875, then it was purchased by the nobleman Roberto Levi of Reggio and, later, donated to the Municipality of Reggio Emilia. "The loneliness" has aroused the interest of many artists and critics, from Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo to Thovez. The work was selected for the 1901 Venice International Art Exhibition (Solitudine, n. 5) and for the Turin Commemorative Exhibition of 1932.