The Art of Commedia: A Study in the Commedia dell'Arte, 1560-1620, with Special Reference to the Visual Records (Internationale Forschungen zur Allgemeinen und Vergleichende)

626 Pages·2006·34.92 MB·English

by  M. A. Katritzky

The Art of Commedia
Internationale Forschungen zur
100
Allgemeinen und
Vergleichenden Literaturwissenschaft
In Verbindung mit
Norbert Bachleitner (Universität Wien), Dietrich Briesemeister (Friedrich
Schiller-Universität Jena), Francis Claudon (Université Paris XII), Joachim Knape
(Universität Tübingen), Klaus Ley (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz),
John A. McCarthy (Vanderbilt University), Alfred Noe (Universität Wien),
Manfred Pfister (Freie Universität Berlin), Sven H. Rossel (Universität Wien)
herausgegeben von
Alberto Martino
(Universität Wien)
Redaktion: Ernst Grabovszki
Anschrift der Redaktion:
Institut für Vergleichende Literaturwissenschaft, Berggasse 11/5, A-1090 Wien
The Art of Commedia
A Study in the
Commedia dell’Arte
1560-1620 with Special
Reference to the Visual Records
M A Katritzky
Amsterdam - New York, NY 2006
Cover illustration: “Lodewyk Toeput, ‘Winter landscape with carnival
procession’, oil on canvas, 84 x 134 cm. Courtesy Dorotheum, Wien”
Cover design: Pier Post
Le papier sur lequel le présent ouvrage est imprimé remplit les prescriptions
de “ISO 9706:1994, Information et documentation - Papier pour documents
- Prescriptions pour la permanence”.
The paper on which this book is printed meets the requirements of “ ISO
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Die Reihe „Internationale Forschungen zur Allgemeinen und Vergleichenden
Literaturwissenschaft“ wird ab dem Jahr 2005 gemeinsam von Editions
Rodopi, Amsterdam – New York und dem Weidler Buchverlag, Berlin
herausgegeben. Die Veröffentlichungen in deutscher Sprache erscheinen im
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From 2005 onward, the series „Internationale Forschungen zur Allgemeinen
und Vergleichenden Literaturwissenschaft“ will appear as a joint publication
by Editions Rodopi, Amsterdam – New York and Weidler Buchverlag, Berlin.
The German editions will be published by Weidler Buchverlag, all other
publications by Editions Rodopi.
ISBN: 90-420-1798-8 (Bound)
©Editions Rodopi B.V., Amsterdam - New York, NY 2006
Printed in The Netherlands
To
Martin
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Contents
Acknowledgements 11
Foreword 13
Introduction 17
i General introduction 17
ii The term commedia dell’arte 18
iii Documentary sources for the commedia dell’arte 20
iv Pictures and the commedia dell’arte 25
I The commedia dell’arte
I.i The rise and spread of professional acting and
commedia dell’arte troupes in sixteenth century Italy
I.i.a Introduction 31
I.i.b Venetian amateurs and buffoni 34
I.i.c The early troupes 37
I.i.d Professionalism and improvisation 39
I.ii A case study in early patronage and geographic
spread: the Munich wedding performance of 1568
I.ii.a Introduction 44
I.ii.b The Munich wedding of 1568 46
I.ii.c Ferdinand’s journey of 1565–6 59
I.ii.d Other influences on Bavaria 74
I.ii.e Rome 80
I.ii.f Summary 83
I.iii Stock types and players of the commedia dell’arte
I.iii.a Introduction 83
I.iii.b The inamorata 85
I.iii.c Zanni and Pantalone 92
I.iii.d Harlequin 102
I.iii.e Some other roles 104
II Art-historical analysis: some case studies
II.i The Recueil Fossard
II.i.a General introduction 107
II.i.b Some Recueil Fossard woodcuts 109
II.i.c Ambrogio Brambilla 114
II.i.d Ambrose I Francken 117
II.ii Inspiration and imitation. The progressive
stereotyping of shared artistic motifs: Antonio
Tempesta and some Flemish carnival paintings
II.ii.a Introduction 120
II.ii.b Direct copies after Tempesta’s Februaries 122
II.ii.c Jan I Bruegel 123
II.ii.d Tempesta’s Februaries and Flemish revellers 124
II.ii.e Louis de Caulery 126
II.ii.f Tempesta and Sebastian Vrancx 129
II.ii.g Vrancx and his circle 132
II.ii.h Summary 137
II.iii Sterling’s ‘Early paintings of the commedia dell’arte
in France’ reconsidered
II.iii.a Introduction 139
II.iii.b The Bayeux painting 140
II.iii.c Lucas van Valckenborch 142
II.iii.d The Carnavalet painting 150
II.iii.e Marten de Vos 155
II.iii.f Harlequin disguised 161
II.iii.g Lodewyk Toeput 165
III Theatrical interpretation: some case studies
III.i Scenery, settings and stages
III.i.a Introduction 177
III.i.b Cleared space staging 179
III.i.c Natural stages 180
III.i.d Unadorned raised stages 180
III.i.e Stages with curtain backdrops 181
III.i.f Architecturally enhanced curtain stages 182
III.i.g Perspective stages 182
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III.ii Zanni and Pantalone
III.ii.a Introduction 187
III.ii.b Venetian servants and masters 188
III.ii.c Zanni costume 189
III.ii.d Zanni and Pantalone in the Land
of Cockayne 192
III.ii.e Zanni and Pantalone as mountebanks’
assistants 195
III.iii Some further comic types
III.iii.a Some female types 199
III.iii.b Male national types 213
III.iii.c Buffoni and matachins 220
III.iii.d Harlequin 226
III.iv Composite, multiple and serial images
III.iv.a Introduction 241
III.iv.b Stock types: Brambilla and Minaggio 244
III.iv.c Two composite prints compared 251
III.iv.d Female roles in serial images 256
Conclusion 259
Bibliography
Principal collections cited 265
Printed works 267
Index 301
Notes to plates 348
Plates 1–340 349
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