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17th-century ITALIAN SCHOOL, circle of Giacomo Torelli (1604…
See original version (French)
378
-
17th-century ITALIAN SCHOOL, circle of Giacomo Torelli (1604…
See original version (French)
Estimate €6,000 - €8,000
Voluntary lot
Description
17th-century ITALIAN SCHOOL, circle of Giacomo Torelli (1604 or 1608–
1678) or the Galli da Bibiena
The Grand Sipario
Oil on canvas.
H_375 cm W_190.5
Restored, re-stretched.
Related work:
Ferdinando Galli Bibiana, Architectural Caprice, oil on canvas, a pair,
Hampel Fine Art Munich auction, 22 June 2007 (Sold for €88,000).
This monumental painting is probably one of the few surviving examples of a
Baroque theatre set. Of impressive dimensions, our painting depicts a
landscape backdrop behind a large red sipario rendered in trompe-l’oeil.
Executed with great skill, this painting was probably part of a
complete set design reminiscent of the works of Giacomo Torelli and the
Galli da Bibiena family.
A painter, engineer and set designer, Giacomo Torelli invented machines and
created unprecedented stage sets, earning him the nickname ‘the great
sorcerer’ (stregone gran) even at the French court. Born into a family of the
Italian minor nobility, nothing is known of his training. His work is
reminiscent of that of Leonardo da Vinci, who also divided his time between
painting and engineering. Torelli even worked for a time as a military engineer
at the Venice Arsenal. In 1641, he founded the Teatro Novissimo, where
performances took place featuring spectacular set changes that
evoked surprise and wonder. In 1644, Mazarin invited him to France in order
introduce a taste for opera there. He staged *La Finta pizza* before the young Louis
XIV, aged seven, Queen Anne of Austria and the Cardinal. The machinery he
installed at the Théâtre du Petit-Bourbon was described in the *Encyclopédie* by
Diderot and D’Alembert. He died in 1678 in his hometown of Fano.
The Galli da Bibiena, for their part, were a long line of painters,
draughtsmen, architects and theatre set designers active in Bologna during
the 17th and 18th centuries. Among the most famous of them were
Giovanni Maria Galli da Bibiena (1618/25–1665), a pupil of Albani; his son
Ferdinando (1657–1743), who continued his apprenticeship under Carlo
Cignani; and his grandson Alessandro (1686–1748), who became painter to
the Elector Palatine Charles Philip.
Although it is difficult to determine the artist with certainty, our painting
is a rare and exceptional work that bears witness to the Italian taste for
theatrical staging. The colour palette suggests that the artist drew inspiration from
the Bolognese school. The rendering of the landscape and the figure in the foreground is
of remarkable finesse, as is the skilful use of perspective
introduced by the chequered floor.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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