Factual

Sky Arte presents Pellizza, Painter from Volpedo, a biographical documentary dedicated to one of the foremost exponents of Italian Divisionism, Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo. Best known for his masterpiece The Fourth Estate (Il Quarto Stato), now housed at the Galleria d’Arte Moderna (GAM) in Milan, Pellizza remains a pivotal figure in Italian art history. His monumental work, the result of a long and complex creative process, continues to embody with striking intensity the struggle of the masses for workers’ rights.

Premiering Thursday, September 25 at 9:15 p.m. on Sky Arte, and available to stream on NOW and on demand, the documentary coincides with the opening of the GAM exhibition Pellizza da Volpedo. The Masterpieces. It offers a unique exploration of the landscapes, towns, and environments that shaped Pellizza’s vision and became an integral part of his art. Thanks to careful archival research, several lesser-known works are unveiled for the first time, enriching the visual narrative.

Directed by Francesco Fei, whose 2016 film Segantini: Return to Nature portrayed Pellizza’s contemporary Giovanni Segantini, the documentary adopts an intimate and reflective tone. Fei traces the deep human sensitivity that Pellizza infused into his canvases, where the evocative power of nature intensifies the emotions at play.

The guiding voice of the film is entrusted to Fabrizio Bentivoglio, who serves as Pellizza’s “narrating conscience.” With his expressive delivery, Bentivoglio leads viewers into the artist’s existential and creative inner world, giving voice to his struggles, ideals, and vision.

Visually, the documentary mirrors the luminous palette of Divisionism, immersing the audience in Pellizza’s universe: his studio in Volpedo, still preserved today; the Italian collections that hold his masterpieces; and the rural and social settings that profoundly influenced his work. Beyond The Fourth Estate, the film reveals many other paintings of great artistic value, thanks to the collaboration of Aurora Scotti—the leading scholar of Pellizza—and the Pellizza da Volpedo Association, which safeguards most of the surviving documents and images related to his life.

The project also features contributions from experts including Virginia Bertone, Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, Carlo del Conte, Claudio Giorgione, Pierluigi Pernigotti, Jacopo Veneziani, and Paola Zatti, ensuring a comprehensive portrait of the artist.

Produced by Apnea Film with the participation of Mets Percorsi d’Arte, in collaboration with the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Tortona, and supported by the Film Commission Torino Piemonte with contributions from the Gallerie Maspes of Milan, Pellizza, Painter from Volpedo is both a cinematic journey and a scholarly rediscovery. It shines new light on an artist who, through his colors, brushstrokes, and ideals, remains a symbol of artistic innovation and social conscience.