Tiepolo’s Tribute to Punchinelli and Pasta
Christie's
In Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's lively work, Punchinelli preparing a meal of gnocchi and parmesan cheese, is a reference to the regional Italian festival, Friday of
Carnival. Traditionally, young boys from the poor district of San Zeno dressed
in costume, gathered in front of the Palazzo del Podestà and invited the mayor
to the town square for wine and pasta. This ritual kicked off a fiesta for the
town that lasted until dawn and inspired “Giambattista,”
as he was known, to create a playful Punchinelli series.
Christie's