ABUNDANCE IN THE PAINTINGS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY:

FELICE BOSELLI

2002 – 03 3° t. e. i. class

I.T.C. BODONI

ABUNDANCE IN THE PAINTINGS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY

In the seventeenth century the nobles and the rich love to decorate the rooms of their palaces with pictures that represent "still life" with food as a subject.They are rustic or elegant, suitable to different rooms of the house: the dining-room, the sitting-room or the kitchen.Raw and cooked food, kitchenware, glasses, jug and tablecloth become the subjects of several pictures.

F . Boselli – still life – Stuard Gallery

The rich show the abundance of food, while the poor still suffer from wars, famine and black death.These pictures don't praise gluttony and waste, but land fertility and the clever management of land property.Felice Boselli is the most important painter of "still life" in Parma.

F. Boselli – The beggar – Stuard Gallery

Felice BoselliHe was born in Piacenza in 1650.He learnt the painting art in the shop of his teacher Bartolomeo Arbotori in Piacenza and Milan.He became an art dealer and a painter. In 1671 he opened a shop in Parma, where he was successful.His purchasers were country aristocratic families and city middle class.He portrayed himself about in 1720, smiling while he was painting sorrounded by animals which became his symbol: the cat on the shouder and the hanging ducks.He died in Parma in 1732.

F, Boselli - Self portrait – 1720 Parma National Gallery

The Sanvitale’s family charged him to decorate Fontanellato’s castle and Parma’s palace.For the Sanvitales he made more than 70 paintings with different subjects, many of these subjects represent “still Life”.The aristocratic family Meli Lupi of Soragna ordered him a lot of paintings too.

Fontanellato ‘s Castle

The paintings by Felice Boselli in the billiard room and in the dining room in Fontanellato’s castle

The light and dark colours of the game plumage are bright.The rabbit’s coat hanging on a hook looks soft and bright.Among the dead animals there are also some alive ones: two lambs, two ducks, a cat and turkey.Here and there some kitchen tools, a sieve, some earthenware and a big knife.The dove with an ear of wheat is a fertility symbol.The painting represents abundance and the variety of food to highlight the owner’s wealth.

F . Boselli – Pantry –The Billiard room in Fontanellato’s castle

In the dark background the fatty meat of a hanging quartered pig, the calf’s head and the meat hanging on the hook catch the eye.

On the wall beside there is another “still life” of the same size, painted by the same painter. It’s a variation on the same theme.

F . Boselli – The Pantry – The Billiard room in Fontanellato’s castle

Shining scale fish, snails, still alive shellfish are untidily heaped up with leeks bunches and garlic, celeries, turnips and boletus.A cat is biting an eel.In the middle we have a basket of bread in part covered with a precious cloth.There is an amphora and some earthenware.In the background the country and the hill are represented.The colours are dark.

F . Boselli - Pantry - Dining room in Fontanellato’s castle

The fish and the shellfish are the only food which is bought on the market and it isn’t produced by Parmesan lands.The fish is eaten on Friday to observe the religious duty not to eat meat on this day of the week.

F . Boselli - Pantry - Dining room in Fontanellato’s castle

On the opposite wall of the dining room there is another “still life” of the same size painted by the same painter.It’s a variation on the same theme.

F . Boselli - Pantry -The Dining room in Fontanellato’s castle

It was painted about in 1710 for the Sanvitales, it had to be placed between two windows.In the background we can see a hilly scenery with a cloudy sky at nightfall.In the back a statue points to a far place.In the foreground there is a busy country woman who picks vegetables on the table and an old man observing her.The vegetables are heaped untidily. There are celeries, onions, cabbage, cut pumpkins and mushrooms.Among the vegetables there are different animals: rodentia and doves: one of these has in his mouth an ear of wheat: symbol of fertility.Here abundance is linked to some popular figures.The painter uses clear colours on the dark background and with his strokes of the brush he manages to create a tactile illusion.

F . Boselli –A Market scene – Parma National Gallery

It was painted for the Sanvitale’s family about in 1710.In the background we see a cloudy sky in bright colors, and a hilly scenery, with trees at the back.In the foreground dead animals (little birds, ducks, geese, pheasants…) and alive animals (two dogs, one cock and one owl) are heaped.In a corner there is a little heap of boletus mushrooms.In the middle of the exhibited game there are two children playing with a dog.The owl has a symbolic meaning of intelligence and moderation in the use of food.In the dark background the brightly coloured plumage of the game on sale emerges.

F . Boselli - " Market scene – Parma - National Gallery

In the foreground it is represented some abundant game, a plucked hen, a piece of pig, a piece of Parmigiano and some lemons. In a corner there is a straw handbag for shopping. The dove with an ear of wheat symbolizes "fertility" and in the same way as a guinea pig it is a feature of the artist. The room, perhaps a cellar, is dark and in opposition with the light colour of the meat and the game plumage. All the food is typical of the country, produced by the owner's lands. The picture emphasizes the fertility of the country and the owner's wealth.

F . Boselli – Pantry – Parma National Gallery

In the background we see a hill scenery.The food is represented in the foreground and set in a pyramidThe kitchen garden’s products: turnips, onions and celery are presented.Among the orchard’s products: a lemon. Among the cattle-breeding’s products: the rabbit, the calf’s head and the plucked chicken.Among the hunting’s products: the pheasant, the pigeon and the duck.Among the wood’s products: boletus typical hill mushrooms in Parma.The painter creates a tactile illusion.

F . Boselli – Pantry – Parma National Gallery

F . Boselli - Detail

The painter wants to show variety and plenty, as a praise of the landowner’s land’s fertility.

The owl is a symbol of intelligence and moderation in the use of food.

The owl represents an initial of the painter.

Musics

Georg Philipp Telemann

Tafelmusik

Concert in F Major

Caravaggio – 1597 - 98

Classe 3° t. e. i.Bianchi Leonardo

Bonati Alessia

Bonini Giorgio

Bottali Kelly

Cammarere Giuseppina

Cavagni Vanessa

Cundo Michela

De Giovanni Vittoria

Formica Cristina

Gini Valentina

Giuffredi Maria Chiara

Guasti Luca

Marino Davide

Mele Laila

Menna Antonella

Monica Elisa

Paini Alessandro

Saletti Silvia

Sikur Luca

Tripodi iole

Zoboli Laura

Prof.ssa Rossella Ollari

Prof.ssa Manuela Pezzoni