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A doctor with a mask and gloves holds a baby like a Renaissance Madonna, with the angel wings blurred behind her. Only the boy, the girl, is whole Italy. An Italy wounded by the virus. The beautiful illustration by the Venetian artist Franco Rivolli pays tribute to the sanitarians, the country's angels, and has already become a national symbol, adopted as an image by the National Association of Carabinieri.

"My illustration went viral from one day to the next, unexpectedly. Without intending to, it has become a symbol of the fight against the coronavirus," explains Franco Rivolli from his confinement in Venice. Rivolli works as a freelance illustrator, has designed several book covers and, between orders, asks for time for his personal works.

"Everything that is happening in Italy has shocked me, of course. I had spent days thinking about the idea of ​​that illustration. I express my feelings towards the hospital staff, who are on the front line to face this health emergency. It is a tribute to his tireless work, "says Rivolli. On Tuesday 10 he posted the work on his social networks and the success was immediate. He donated it to the National Carabinieri Association, which adapted it as an official image on Wednesday the 11th. "And there it exploded on the web," admits the artist. To the point of being published in the main Italian media and that unauthorized versions are made. In France, one already runs in the shape of a hexagon.

In Italy, with a week more of seclusion than Spain, the situation "sometimes gets tough", acknowledges Rivolli. "My family and I are fine but there are still people in Italy who have not understood the seriousness of the situation: too many people are running , going for a walk or cycling when all they have to do is stay at home", the Mint. And he sends a message to the Spanish: "If you consider the number of deaths, my great advice is to stay home and respect this fundamental rule, without which we all potentially put ourselves at risk. Stay home. FORZA! "

TO RESIST IS TO OVERCOME

Precisely with the slogan of Stay at home! , the Valencian illustrator Javier Parra has created a poster in the tradition of the 30s and 40s. The protagonists: two toilets with masks and, behind, the population on the balconies. "Cartelism has played a very important role in raising social awareness throughout the 20th century. I return to the tradition of Valencian cartelism, particularly that of Josep Renau , to update it and adapt it to this crisis," says Javier Parra from Valencia, where he remains confined. in the town of Torrente.

On Monday the 16th, Parra posted the illustration on Twitter and it has already gone viral. "It is a recognition of the heroes of today, the toilets, and a tribute to public health, which is everyone's. And my little grain of sand to help raise awareness. I chose the phrase of Juan Negrín , the President of the Republic , 'Resisting is winning' because Negrín was, precisely, a doctor, "says Parra.

The Valencian illustrator has spent years developing works that drink from the aesthetics of poster art. And in this he has also added a touch of Soviet constructivism in the lines of the buildings and the characters. "Without losing the classic style of the 30s and with a tinge of constructivism, I have tried to modernize it, especially with colors," he says.

In this health emergency, Parra claims "the value of the collective over the individual." "Perhaps now and with a view to the future, it is time to rethink all the cuts that public health has suffered and all the difficulties with the lack of resources and material ...", he says. His message is similar to that of Franco Rivolli: "To take care of our toilets we have to stay home." And it promises more posters with different messages. In all crises, artists also play a role.

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  • Italy
  • France
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  • Covid 19
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