Italian Styles: Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo Interior & Furniture

Italian Renaissance Interior

Rooms contained famous works of art and accumulated beautiful possessions. Fireplaces were ornamented with mantles. Bolection moldings were typical.

Italian Renaissance walls

• large paintings were incorporated to the architectural design; illusionistic paintings were typical.

• majolica tiles were commonly used.

• pilasters and niches.

Italian Renaissance floors

Black-and-white, colored, or terrazzo were used with occasional Oriental rugs.

Italian Renaissance ceiling

Coffered, beamed, or flat plaster.

Italian Renaissance accessories

• usually in brilliant colors of blues, purples, yellows, and greens when walls are neutral.

• bronze statuettes done in cire perdue process.

• small wall mirrors.

• cameo and intaglio medallions.

niche

A shallow recess, especially one in a wall to display a statue or other ornament.

intaglio

An engraving.

cameo

Any small engraved or carved work in relief.

cire perdue

cartouche

A medallion or coat of arms often decorating the ceiling.

bolection

Molding around a panel.

studiolo

A room intended for meditation and study.

galleria

A room to display acquired artworks.

Italian Renaissance furniture

• monumental in character.

• upholstered seats; usually in silk, velvet, or damask.

• ornamented nail heads used with leather upholstery.

• gesso-painted or gilded.

certosina

Small ivory inlay pattern set in wood work.

pastiglia

Application of gesso to achieve relief.

casonne

Marriage chest; often made in pairs; to contain the bride's trousseau.

cassapanca

A large cassone with back and arms added to form a settee or sofa.

credenza

Sideboards with boards often surmounted by drawers intended for the storage of linen, dishes and silverware.

sedia

Armchair for MEN.

sgabello

A light wooden chair for WOMEN; had two trestles or splat support with stiff back.

savonarola

An x-shaped chair names after a monk.

Dante or Dantesque

Usually of tooled leather; a curule in front extended as arm supports while the curule at the back extended as uprights of the back.

panchetto

Similar to the sgabello but had three splayed legs instead of two trestle supports.

letto

Bed with massive structure placed on a base, a canopy and paneled footboard.

majolica

Large enameled earthenware plates.

Italian Baroque Interior

• grand proportions of rooms.

• great emphasis on fresco painting (walls and ceilings).

• carved woodwork in paint or gold.

• hooded fireplace were typical, but less prominent.

Italian Baroque floors

Disparate colors and patterns were used.

Italian Baroque walls

Stucco, paint, textiles, and marble (occasionally).

Italian Baroque furniture

Spanish influence was evident in the black and white cabinets produced in Naples for the Spanish aristocracy.

quadratura

Painted illusionist architecture.

pietra dura

Inlaid stone panels often mounted on ebony cabinets-on-stands.

Italian Rococo

Coarse and tended toward artistic vulgarity.

Italian Rococo furniture

• awkward proportions.

• much gilding used.

• lacquer was employed.

• chinoiserie was used.

• imitated the French styles.

Venetian mirror

Three-paneled mirror with etches of frosted glass.