Workshop of Michelangelo Cerquozzi, Carnevale a Roma in Piazza Navona, 1650, Oil on Canvas

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Description

Carnival scene in 17th-century rome (piazza navona)

roman school of the bamboccianti (mid-17th century) - workshop of michelangelo cerquozzi (rome … Read more Carnival scene in 17th-century rome (piazza navona)

roman school of the bamboccianti (mid-17th century) - workshop of michelangelo cerquozzi (rome 1602 – rome 1660)

oil on canvas
74 x 96 cm - framed 88 x 110 cm.

set in a large square crowded with masked and costumed figures, the painting depicts a jubilant scene during carnival celebrations in 17th-century rome, making it a fascinating testament to the customs of the time.

the painting is set in piazza navona, with a clearly recognizable detail, on the right, of the famous fountain of the four rivers designed by gian lorenzo bernini, surmounted by the sixteen-meter-high agonal obelisk, originally located in the circus of maxentius on the appian way.

a civic event with ancient origins—inspired by the ancient roman saturnalia, in which slaves were elevated to the rank of masters, subverting the ordinary social order—carnevale, beginning in the 16th century, became one of the main celebrations of papal rome, and one of the richest and most unrestrained in europe, becoming more popular and renowned than the venetian carnival during the renaissance.

not simply a celebration, but an integral part of the city's culture: as had already been the case in antiquity, the roman oligarchies also granted the population, especially the lower classes, a period dedicated to entertainment. The entire citizenry participated, the lower classes mingled with the powerful, even being allowed to publicly mock them; protected by the guaranteed anonymity of the masks, a sort of leveling of all social divisions was achieved, and even public ridicule of the authorities and the aristocracy was permitted.

masked people paraded, disguised as characters from the commedia dell'arte, especially in roman style.

thus, via lata (now via del corso), piazza colonna, and piazza venezia became the venues for the celebration, allowing the people (and even the masked gentlemen) to take over the official role.

among the various painters who depicted carnival scenes, a special place belongs to the roman michelangelo cerquozzi (rome 1602–1660), to whose workshop we can easily trace our work.

active primarily in rome, cerquozzi became known for his membership in the popular roman caravaggio movement—known as the "bamboccianti school"—a pictorial movement that included flemish, dutch, and italian painters, who favored simple themes with popular scenes drawn from the daily life of rome at the time.

and carnival, which lent itself perfectly to popular narrative iconography, was therefore a typical subject of the "bambocciata." cerquozzi's oeuvre includes several works featuring carnival themes, held in various museums and collections, as do many other artists belonging to the movement, such as jan miel (see carnival in rome, 1653, madrid, museo del prado), and johannes lingelbach (see carnival in rome, 1650/1651, kunsthistorisches museum).

additional information:

the painting is sold complete with a beautiful antique frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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