You do not enjoy a city for its seven or seventy-seven wonders, but for the answer it gives to a question of yours.
(Italo Calvino)

Perhaps we should start here—with a thought from a literary "giant"—to reflect on why the urban theme continues to fascinate painters and visual art enthusiasts alike.

From Canaletto’s celebrated views of Venice to Impressionist Paris, from Kirchner’s Berlin to Sironi’s Milan, city streets have spoken to us through canvases, illustrating the life of those times while simultaneously revealing the certainties or fears, anxieties and hopes of the artists communicating their worldview.

The city serves as a place of exploration where one can lose and rediscover oneself, unearthing answers to our questions amidst the straight or jagged lines of buildings and streetlamps.

Daniele Cestari, an architect by training, has made cityscapes the foundation of his artistic inquiry, yet he strips away their specific recognizability: a city is a city, and a suburban street will always evoke our own lived experiences, regardless of whether the building is actually in Ferrara or New York.

A domestic dimension of the urban landscape emerges in the work of Andrej Mussa, who loves to bring suburban vistas back to life—scenes where we can rediscover moments from our own past.

Closer to an "Impressionist" sensibility, meanwhile, are the watercolors of Joseph Zbukvic; he delights in capturing the atmosphere of the places he visits, allowing us to admire glimpses of cities across the globe. When discussing cities, one cannot overlook New York—the quintessential metropolis and an essential subject of exploration. Some, like Neil Douglas, analyze its architectural aspects; others, like Christian Koivumaa, are drawn to the lights of the streets and cars stalled in traffic; while others still—such as Francesca Galliani, a true New Yorker—examine the symbols and values ​​the city conveys.

We invite you to view a selection of works on this theme, in the hope that you will find the answer to your question.