“Shofar. Evening in Turin”

 

The painting “Shofar. Evening in Turin” embodies an image where history, symbolism, and modernity intertwine. The artist transports the viewer into the heart of Turin — a city where monumental architecture coexists with centuries-old traditions and enduring spiritual symbols. In the foreground, we see a figure wrapped in a tallit — the Jewish prayer shawl. He is blowing the shofar, the ancient ritual instrument whose sound has long accompanied solemn events and served as a call for spiritual awakening.

 

The figure stands on a rooftop, positioned almost at the boundary between the earthly and the heavenly. Before him stretches Turin at dusk, bathed in the golden glow of streetlights and windows. At the center of the composition rises the Mole Antonelliana, the unmistakable symbol of the city, its spire reaching skyward. It becomes the vertical axis of the painting, linking the earthly urban space with the heavens, dominated by clouds that occupy much of the canvas.

 

The clouds are given particular prominence: painted with warm, luminous brushstrokes — shades of orange, pink, and gold — they create the impression of a living, ever-changing sky. Their shapes evoke faces and silhouettes, as if nature itself is responding to the sound of the shofar. Their contrast with the cool blue mountains on the horizon intensifies the dramatic and at the same time uplifting atmosphere of the work.

 

The color palette is built on the interplay between the warm radiance of the city and the cooler tones of the evening sky and mountains. This balance conveys a sense of harmony and depth, reinforcing the idea of a union between the earthly and the spiritual, the material and the divine.

 

“Shofar. Evening in Turin” can be interpreted as a metaphor for awakening, an invitation to inner listening and spiritual awareness. The city is not merely a backdrop but a living entity, resonating with the ancient sound of the shofar. The work is both deeply rooted in a specific place — the recognizable skyline of Turin — and universal, addressing themes of memory, tradition, faith, and hope that speak to every viewer.

 

This painting invites us to pause, to listen to the silence, and to feel how eternity permeates the everyday. Through symbolism and vivid imagery, the artist shows that even in a modern city, full of light and movement, there is always room for ancient sounds that connect us to our roots and to the heavens.