In loci sacris Intagli e intarsi nella prima metà Settecento nella Sicilia occidentale

Abstract

We have examined the primary workshops of carvers active in western Sicily from the late seventeenth century to the first half of the eighteenth century. These ateliers, sometimes under the guidance of renowned architects and local painters, produced intricate wooden artifacts with complex inlays, including mother-of-pearl, reflecting the prevailing cultural trends. In addition to the lingering influence of the late Mannerist style from the end of the seventeenth century, we observed the incorporation of Baroque and late Baroque works of Roman origin, reflecting the exuberant French rococo style. These carvings, such as cabinets, cantories, keepers, choirs, frontals, tabernacles, and tables, primarily intended for church settings, provide evidence of the penetration of Roman Baroque aesthetics in Sicily. This influence was facilitated by prominent figures, including the cruciferous architect Giacomo Amato, known for his extensive collection of drawings housed in the Regional Gallery of Sicily in Palermo, Palazzo Abatellis. Amato collaborated with the painter Antonino Grano and the experienced Marattesco Pietro Aquila (de Aquila). The wooden works, though subject to attribution debates, were created for churches and oratories in Palermo. These spaces were not only shaped by architects but also painters, sculptors, marble workers, silversmiths, goldsmiths, coral artisans, embroiderers, weavers, and plasterers, often working closely together. These were indeed teams of artists documented in the most renowned Sicilian workshops from the late 1600s to the mid-1700s. Notably, local workshops in Agrigento and Trapani, while influenced by the innovations of Palermo's carvers, produced carvings with complex iconographic programs, likely inspired by theologians or patrons. The activity of the Franciscan friars was particularly significant in this regard, as they excelled in crafting valuable carvings. Lastly, we focused on the benches of the oratory of San Lorenzo in Palermo, consisting of 22 micro boxwood sculptures crafted between 1702 and 1703 by Leonardo Bongiorno from Trapani. An unpublished document confirms the collaboration of Giacomo Serpotta, the renowned Sicilian plasterer, who often worked alongside Amato.