Intarsia

Form of wood inlaying From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Intarsia is a form of wood inlaying that is similar to marquetry. The practice dates from before the 7th century AD. The technique inserts sections of wood (at times with contrasting ivory or bone, or mother-of-pearl) within the solid wood matrix of floors and walls or of tabletops and other furniture; by contrast marquetry assembles a pattern out of veneers glued upon the carcass.

Geometric figure (1537), intarsia by fra Damiano da Bergamo; Museum of the Basilica of Saint Dominic, Bologna, Italy
Intarsia on the First aid kit of Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia, Historical Museum of Serbia

Certosina is a variant also using pieces of ivory, bone or mother of pearl. Intarsia is mostly used in Italian, or at least European work. Similar techniques are found over much of Asia and the Middle East.

The word is from the Italian, derived from Arabic.[1]

History

Overview

When Egypt came under Arab rule in the seventh century, indigenous arts of intarsia and wood inlay, which lent themselves to non-representational decors and tiling patterns, spread throughout the Maghreb.[2] The technique of intarsia was already perfected in Islamic North Africa before it was introduced into Christian Europe through Sicily and Andalusia. The art was further developed in Siena and by Sienese masters at the cathedral of Orvieto, where figurative intarsia made their first appearance, c. 1330 and continuing into the 15th century[3] and in northern Italy in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, spreading to German centers and introduced into London by Flemish craftsmen in the later sixteenth century. The most elaborate examples of intarsia can be found in cabinets of this period, which were items of great luxury and prestige.[4] Multiple colors could be used by exploiting differently-colored spalted woods. After about 1620, marquetry tended to supplant intarsia in urbane cabinet work.

Intarsia gained popularity in the United States in the 1980s as a wooden art technique using a band saw or scroll saw. Early practitioners made money both by selling their art, and by selling patterns for others to use. In France Georges Vriz proposed a new method for marquetry. Contrary to other techniques, based on a decoration "flat" made of wood or other material, George Virz superimposed the layers of wood using thin, transparent elements that impart color and depth.[5][6]

History

Domenico di Niccolò dei Cori, wooden choir of the chapel of the Palazzo Pubblico, Siena

Sienese Trecento

The earliest example of intarsia is a fragment from the choir of Orvieto Cathedral, depicting the Coronation of the Virgin, now preserved in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. It is a work prior to 1357, entrusted to the master builder Vanni di Tura dell'Ammannato and to a small team of Sienese intarsia craftsmen, who used high-quality cartoons that produced figures with closed and unusual silhouettes, resembling stained glass or Late Gothic tapestry.

During the fourteenth century, Sienese wood inlayers received the most important commissions: Pietro di Lando produced the wooden choir for Fiesole Cathedral in 1371 and in 1390 that of Florence Cathedral in Florence (both lost); Francesco da Siena executed that of Santa Croce in Florence in 1355 (lost); Nicolò dei Cori completed the choir of Siena Cathedral in 1394 (lost), while between 1415 and 1428 he executed the wooden choir of the chapel of the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena, his only surviving work. Mattia di Nanni later produced, between 1425 and 1430, the Justice and the Intercession of the Virgin for Siena for a dossal in the Sala delle Balestre of the Sienese commune.

Giuliano da Maiano and Alesso Baldovinetti, Intarsia of the Sagrestia delle Messe, Florence Cathedral

Renaissance intarsia of the Quattrocento

Masters of perspective in Florence

With the success of linear perspective in Florence, intarsia altered its decorative repertoire, turning toward geometric solids and perspectival views, becoming one of the principal vehicles for transmitting the new perspectival revolution.[7] In 1436, Antonio Manetti and Agnolo di Lazzaro were commissioned to execute the intarsia wall coverings of the Sagrestia delle Messe in Florence Cathedral, completed in 1445. Subsequently, Benedetto and Giuliano da Maiano worked on the sacristy cupboards with Scenes from the Life of Christ and Prophets between 1463 and 1465, based on cartoons by Alesso Baldovinetti and Maso Finiguerra.

Giuliano da Maiano, in collaboration with the Francione (later active in Pisa), executed the figures of Petrarch and Dante from a cartoon by Sandro Botticelli in 1481 for the Udienza door in the Palazzo della Signoria. He later worked in Pisa between 1471 and 1479 on the choir of Pisa Cathedral, and finally in Perugia in 1491, where, with Domenico del Tasso, he executed the choir of Perugia Cathedral.

Baccio Pontelli, Studiolo of Federico da Montefeltro, Ducal Palace, Urbino

The two metaphysical studioli of Federico da Montefeltro

The Masters of Perspective addressed a culturally elevated clientele; the principal field of application for intarsia was the choir stalls and the studiolo, both symbols of reflective seclusion. The immobile character of intarsia and its subjects — collections of humanistic instruments, half-open cupboards revealing their contents, and views of ideal cities — suited the tastes of learned patrons.

The intarsia for the Studiolo of Federico da Montefeltro in the Ducal Palace in Urbino was executed by Baccio Pontelli between 1474 and 1476. The designs may have been supplied by Sandro Botticelli, Francesco di Giorgio Martini, and the young Donato Bramante. The lower walls of the studiolo are entirely covered with illusionistic shelving filled with books, scientific instruments, allegorical arms, and views of ideal cities. Above are 28 portraits of illustrious men by Justus of Ghent and Pedro Berruguete, arranged in two registers.

A similar work is the Studiolo of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, executed for the Palazzo Ducale in Gubbio, now preserved at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Wooden choir, 1486–1497, Certosa di Pavia

The Certosa di Pavia

In northern Italy, the most extensive fifteenth-century wood inlay project was the creation of the 42 choir stalls for the monks of the Certosa di Pavia. Their backs depict elaborate figures of saints within architectural or natural settings, along with panels decorated with vegetal motifs. The commission was entrusted in 1486 by Ludovico il Moro, Duke of Milan, to Bartolomeo de Polli, a Modenese woodcarver active in Mantua, assisted by Antonio and Paolo Mola. The Cremonese inlayer Pantaleone de Marchi contributed 12 panels depicting the Apostles.

Given the high compositional quality, it is believed that important painters active at the Certosa, including Ambrogio Bergognone, Iacopino de Mottis and Bernardo Zenale, supplied the models for the intarsia.[8]

Cristoforo Canozi, Evangelists, signed and dated 1477, Modena Cathedral

The workshop of the Canozi of Lendinara

Unlike central Italy, in northern Italy the inlay masters also prepared the cartoons. One of the best-organized workshops was that of the brothers Cristoforo and Lorenzo Canozi, known as the Canozi of Lendinara. In contact with the painting of Piero della Francesca, they helped spread the genre throughout northern Italy. They worked together in the Studiolo of Belfiore near Ferrara between 1449 and 1453; between 1462 and 1469 they were in Padua, producing the choir of the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua (destroyed in 1749) and the sacristy doors.

In 1469 the brothers separated. Lorenzo worked in the Veneto on the sacristy dossals of the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice and executed the choir of Monastero di Sant'Antonio in Polesine in Ferrara. In 1474 Bernardino da Lendinara, Cristoforo's son, executed the sacristy backs of Modena Cathedral and between 1489 and 1494 the stalls of the Parma Baptistery.

Cristoforo worked on the choir of Parma Cathedral with Luchino Bianchino and in 1477 executed the four panels of the Evangelists for Modena Cathedral. In 1486 he was in Pisa for the choir of Pisa Cathedral, completed by Guido da Saravallino. He died before beginning his final commission: the sacristy benches of the Consorziati in Parma, completed by Luchino Bianchino.

In Lendinara, within the town hall in the "Sala Canoziana", the wooden Gothic monastic grille (c. 1447) made by the Canozi brothers is preserved.

Pietro Antonio degli Abati, their brother-in-law and collaborator, worked in Vicenza in 1484 on the choir of the Santuario della Madonna di Monte Berico and between 1487 and 1497 in Padua at the church of San Giovanni di Verdara.

Giovanni Maria Platina, the most accomplished pupil of Cristoforo Canozi,[9] was active in Cremona, producing a reliquary cabinet between 1477 and 1480 and, between 1483 and 1490, the choir of Cremona Cathedral.

Fra Giovanni da Verona, choir of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, 1503–1505

Giovanni da Verona and the Veneto–Neapolitan manner

In Venice worked Fra Sebastiano da Rovigo and his pupil Fra Giovanni da Verona. Between 1491 and 1499 they executed the choir of Santa Maria in Organo in Verona, where the inlays moved beyond the classical geometric repertoire to more intricate compositions. The 27 upper stalls feature backs separated by pilasters: below are Renaissance grotesque motifs, while above arches frame saints, ideal perspective views, or half-open cupboards revealing sacred and secular objects. The work, produced with numerous collaborators including Raffaele da Brescia, was signed by the artist.[10]

Between 1503 and 1505 Fra Giovanni executed the choir of the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore in Siena; from 1506 to 1511 he worked at the Sant'Anna dei Lombardi convent in Naples, and between 1511 and 1512 on the panelling of the Sala della Segnatura in Rome (lost).[11]

The Cinquecento: late Renaissance and Mannerism

The cathedrals of Savona and Genoa

In Liguria in the early sixteenth century, Anselmo de Fornari, Elia Rocchi and Gian Michele Pantaleoni — whose training derived from the Certosa di Pavia workshop — executed the choir stalls of Savona Cathedral and Genoa Cathedral.

Choir stalls of Savona Cathedral, 1521

The pupils of Fra Giovanni da Verona

His pupils included Giovanni Francesco d'Arezzo, who around 1524 produced the choir of the Certosa di San Martino in Naples; the Bencivenni brothers, who between 1521 and 1530 executed the choir of Todi Cathedral; and Fra Raffaele da Brescia, who produced the postergali for the Monastery of San Michele in Bosco, now in the Malvezzi Chapel of Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna.

Fra Damiano in Bologna

Damiano Zambelli, known as Fra Damiano da Bergamo, was active mainly in Bologna between 1517 and 1526, where he encountered the theatrical scenographic studies of Baldassarre Peruzzi. Between 1528 and 1530 he executed the presbytery panelling of San Damiano in Bologna and, between 1530 and 1535, the panelling for the chapel of San Domenico with Stories of Saint Dominic. Between 1537 and 1538 he produced the lectern and the choir door; from 1541 to 1549 he executed the biblical scenes of the main choir of the Basilica of San Domenico, Bologna.

Geometric figure by Fra Damiano Zambelli, Basilica of San Domenico, Bologna

The "Sistine Chapel" of painted woods in Santa Maria Maggiore, Bergamo

During the sixteenth century, geometric themes were gradually abandoned in favor of more overtly pictorial subjects. Examples include the intarsia of the choir of the church of Santi Bartolomeo e Stefano in Bergamo by Fra Damiano da Bergamo, after designs by Bernardo Zenale and Bramantino, and the inlaid shutters covering the choir of Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo by Giovan Francesco Capoferri, based on cartoons by Lorenzo Lotto, executed between 1522 and 1532, with allegories introducing biblical scenes.

Decline

The decline of intarsia was linked to its attempt to align itself ever more closely with painting. With the increasing use of stains to compose complex narrative scenes and the abandonment of the traditional repertoire, wood inlay became dependent on painting and was relegated to a display of artisanal virtuosity.[7]

In the twentieth century, the craft was revived by the master from Trani, Andrea Gusmai, whose celebrated works helped restore dignity to this art form and reawaken appreciation of its beauty.

Process

Intarsia uses varied shapes, sizes, and species of wood fitted together to create a mosaic-like picture with an illusion of depth. Intarsia is created through the selection of different types of wood, using their grain pattern and coloring to create variations in the pattern. After selecting the specific woods for the pattern, the woodworker cuts, shapes, and finishes each piece. Some areas of the pattern may be raised to create more depth. The completed individual pieces fit together like a jig-saw puzzle, glued to a wooden backer-board cut to the outline of the pattern. This typically creates a three-dimensional effect as seen in the studiolo of the Palazzo Ducale, Urbino.

Marble intarsia (opere di commessi), called pietre dura in English for the semi-precious hardstones combined with colored marbles that are employed, is an intarsia of coloured stones inlaid in white or black marble. Early examples in Florence date from the mid fifteenth century and reached a peak of refinement and complexity in revetments of the Medici Chapel, produced under Medici patronage in the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, which was established by Ferdinando I de' Medici. Later complex designs and refinement of the art developed in Naples circa the beginning of the 17th century. The floor of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is a particularly notable example of marble intarsia. Later this form of decoration became a feature of baroque interior design, particularly so in the Sicilian Baroque designs following the earthquake of 1693. Intarsia is best restricted to wood-based work.

Today intarsia can be made from purchased patterns. To make intarsia from a pattern, first wood is chosen based on color and grain pattern. Next the pattern is transferred onto the wood and individual pieces are precisely cut out on the band saw or scroll saw. The pieces are then sanded individually or in groups to add depth to the piece. Once the sanding is completed, the wood pieces are fitted together to form the final result. A finish (for example a clear gel stain) can be applied to the individual pieces before gluing, or to the glued final version.[12]

Technique and subjects

Before proceeding with the inlay using small pieces of wood, a cartoon was prepared, often drawn by professional painters, who entrusted the execution of the works to specialized craftsmen. The technique consisted of juxtaposing woods and, at times, other materials (ivory, bone, or mother-of-pearl), cut so as to fit together perfectly, in order to obtain designs that, in the finest examples, achieved remarkable virtuoso complexity.[7]

The different colors depended on the natural hues of the various types of wood, further varied according to the cut and the inclination of the grain, which altered the refraction of light on the surface. At times the pieces were also dyed by boiling them in coloring substances, while darker tones were usually obtained through scorching with heated irons, generally carried out after installation.[7]

Noah's Ark, from the Tarsie del coro di Santa Maria Maggiore di Bergamo, executed by Capoferri after a design by Lorenzo Lotto

Intarsia was used to decorate small caskets, wedding chests, doors, furniture for sacristies, choir stalls, and for the panelling of choirs and private studioli. During the golden age of the Renaissance, intarsia was closely linked to theoretical concerns, particularly the application of the laws of perspective to create perfect trompe-l'œil effects, making it one of the most widely practiced arts among elite patrons. The intarsia in sacristies or studioli of major princes of the period shared a character of "reflective seclusion",[13] to which the immobile and non-narrative character of the views, cupboards, and depicted objects was perfectly suited. These subjects anticipated the genres of landscape and still life, which in Renaissance painting had not yet achieved independent expressive status.[7]

Frequent motifs included faceted cups, hourglasses, candelabra, compasses, geometric solids, birdcages, pieces of armor, and similar objects. Half-open cupboards were also common, revealing the typical equipment of the humanist scholar, such as books and musical instruments. Not infrequently, such subjects were depicted on the doors of actual built-in cupboards that often contained objects very similar to those represented.[7]

The representations were always governed by the perspectival rules of contemporary painting, and the painters who supplied the cartoons adapted their work to the specific requirements of this decorative genre. It is, for example, impossible to imagine the production of masters such as Lorenzo and Cristoforo da Lendinara without the influence of the silent and geometrically ordered views of Piero della Francesca.[7]

Woodcarvers

See also

Bibliography

  • Amedeo Benedetti (2004). "Legno, ebanisteria, falegnameria, cesteria, intarsio, mobili". Bibliografia Artigianato. La manualistica artigiana del Novecento: pubblicazioni su arti e mestieri in Italia dall'Unita ad oggi [Craft bibliography. 20th-century craft manuals: publications on arts and trades in Italy from Unification to the present]. Genoa: Erga. pp. 303–320. ISBN 88-8163-358-2.
  • Buganza, S. (2006). Il coro inarsiato. Parma: Certosa di Pavia.
  • De Vecchi, Pierluigi (1999). Cerchiari, Elda (ed.). I tempi dell'arte [The times of art]. Vol. 2. Milan: Bompiani. ISBN 88-451-7212-0.
  • Cosimo, Lanzo (1983). Andrea Gusmai e le sue tarsie [Andrea Gusmai and his intarsia]. Fasano: Schena Editore.
  • Lucco, Mauro (2009). L'armadio intarsiato di Giovanni Platina [Giovanni Platina's inlaid cabinet]. Cinisello Balsamo: Silvana Editoriale.
  • Piglione, C.; Tasso, F., eds. (2000). Arti minori [Minor arts]. Milano: Jaca Book.
  • Arcangeli, Francesco (2014). Tarsie [Intarsia]. Postfazione di Massimo Ferretti (Riproduzione facsimilare dell'edizione: Roma, Tumminelli, 1942 ed.). Pisa: Edizioni della Normale. ISBN 978-88-7642-511-0.
  • Zuffi, Stefano (2004). Il Quattrocento [The 1400s]. Milan: Electa. ISBN 8837023154.

References

Further reading

External links

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