The Painter at the Crossroads: Sebastiano Ricci in Florence and the Interplay between the Arts

This paper examines Sebastiano Ricci’s pictorial activity in Florence, with the aim of elucidating the sophisticated set of visual references through which the Venetian painter enriched his culture during his stay in the Tuscan city. The study addresses at first the decorative cycle of Palazzo Maruc...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Rodolfo Maffeis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: eum edizioni università di macerata 2018-11-01
Series:Il Capitale Culturale: Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage
Online Access:http://riviste.unimc.it/index.php/cap-cult/article/view/1844
Description
Summary:This paper examines Sebastiano Ricci’s pictorial activity in Florence, with the aim of elucidating the sophisticated set of visual references through which the Venetian painter enriched his culture during his stay in the Tuscan city. The study addresses at first the decorative cycle of Palazzo Marucelli, a close analysis of which reveals Ricci’s fascination for the Florentine sculpture of the Cinquecento. New hints are then given on the painter’s articulated relationship with Florentine “stuccatori” and “quadraturisti”, who worked alongside him in the palace. Lastly, the article focuses on some relevant English commissions, where previous experiences converge, however with some minor changes aimed at meeting the aesthetic demands of the foreign audience.   Il presente contributo esamina l’attività pittorica di Sebastiano Ricci a Firenze, analizzando il sofisticato complesso di riferimenti visivi con i quali il pittore veneto arricchisce la propria cultura durante la sua permanenza nella città toscana. Lo studio sonda dapprincipio l’influenza, sia iconografica che stilistica, della grande scultura fiorentina del Cinquecento nel ciclo decorativo di Palazzo Marucelli. Quindi tratteggia alcuni aspetti innovativi dell’articolato rapporto di Ricci con gli stuccatori e i quadraturisti fiorentini che lo affiancarono nell’impresa. Infine si sofferma sui cantieri inglesi nei quali tali esperienze precedenti confluiscono, ma dove intervengono anche sottili modifiche legate alle aspettative estetiche di un pubblico non italiano.
ISSN:2039-2362