Boccaccian Themes in Italian Cassoni Painting, 1400-1550, Part 2: Paintings by Known Artists
In this section each entry is arranged as follows: artist, subject with textual source, approximate date of painting, location, format and bibliographical citation. As in Part 1, a question mark indicates that identifications are open to doubt or, at this time of writing (1987), remain to be proven. I have also deployed the interrogative to indicate attributions that are the topic of current controversy, or should be.
Nastagio
BOTTICELLI, SANDRO, The Calumny of Apelles, with many ancillary scenes including Nastagio degli Onesti (Decameron V.8) and others to be published by S. Meltzoff, forthcoming (Botticelli, Signorelli and Savonarola, Firenze, Olschki, cfr. here p. 109), ca. 1495, Firenze, Uffizi Gallery. Panel, perhaps spalliera. Cfr. R. LIGHTBOWN, Botticelli, Berkeley and Los Angeles 1978, I, pl. 49 and II, pp. 86-92 (for Nastagio only).
————, Nastagio degli Onesti I [outgoing link, Web Art Gallery] (Decameron V.8), 1482-1483, Madrid, Prado. Spalliera companion to BOTTICELLI, Nastagio II, III, IV. Cfr. R. LIGHTBOWN, Botticelli, I, pl. 28A and II, pp. 47, 49-50. Decameron, ed. Branca, II, p. 490.
————, Nastagio II [outgoing link, Web Art Gallery] (Decameron V.8), 1481-1483, Madrid, Prado. Spalliera companion to BOTTICELLI, Nastagio I, III, IV. Cfr. R. LIGHTBOWN, Botticelli, I, pl. 28B and II, pp. 47-48, 49-50. Decameron, ed. Branca, II, p. 491.
————, Nastagio III [outgoing link, Web Art Gallery] (Decameron V.8), 1481-1483, Madrid, Prado. Spalliera companion to BOTTICELLI, Nastagio I, II, IV. Cfr. R. LIGHTBOWN, Botticelli, I, pl. 28C and II, pp. 48, 49-50. Decameron, ed. Branca, II, p. 491.
————, Nastagio IV [outgoing link, Web Art Gallery] (Decameron V.8), 1481-1483, Firenze, private collection. Spalliera companion to BOTTICELLI, Nastagio I-III. Cfr. R. LIGHTBOWN, Botticelli, II, pp. 48-49 and fig. 38.
SELLAIO, JACOPO DEL (?), Nastagio degli Onesti I (Decameron V.8), ca. 1490, Brooklyn, New York, Museum of Art. Cassone companion to SELLAIO, Nastagio Philadelphia.
————, Nastagio II (Decameron V.8), ca. 1490, Philadelphia, Museum of Art, Johnston Coll. Cassone, companion to Nastagio, Brooklyn. Cfr SWEENY, Johnston Collection, pp. 64-65, No. 64 and Pl. 139.
Cimone
BONIFAZIO VERONESE, Shepherd with Sleeping Nymph but more plausibly CIMONE AND IFIGENIA, ca. 1540, senza casa, formerly Basilea, Baron Robert von Hirsch, sold 1978. Panel, perhaps a cassone. Cfr. D. WESTPHAL, Bonifazio Veronese (Bonifazio dei Pitati), Monaco di Baviera 1931, pp. 87-88; B.BERENSON, Italian Pictures of the Renaissance: Venetian School, London 1957, I, p. 41; V. Branca, here pp. 109-110.
————, Cimone and Ifigenia (Decameron V.1), ca. 1540, senza casa. Panel, perhaps cassone, variant of BONIFAZIO, Cimone, formerly Hirsch. Cfr. Christie's sale, 23 march 1973, Cat. 36, p. 32; Sotheby sale, 25 november 1980. Verbal communication, V. Branca (cfr. here pp. 109-110).
————, Diana and Actaeon but clearly Cimone and Ifigenia (Decameron V.1), ca. 1550, senza casa. Panel, perhaps cassone, variant of BONIFAZIO, Cimone, formerly Hirsch. Cfr. Sales catalogue, Christie's, London, 9 July 1982, lot 49, illus. p. 100. Verbal communication, V. Branca (cfr. here pp. 109-110).
LUINI, BERNARDINO, Cephalus and Procris, but perhaps Cimone and Efigenia (Decameron V.1), ?, ca. 1520, Washington, National Gallery of Art. Fresco, part of a large cycle perhaps from Milano, Casa Rabia. Cfr. F. R. SHAPLEY, Catalogue of Italian Paintings, Washington 1979, I, p. 287, and II, pl. 202.
PALMA, VECCHIO, Cimone and Efigenia (Decameron V, 1), ca. 1515, London, National Gallery, No. 4037. Panel perhaps a cassone front. Cfr. C. GOULD, The Sixteenth Century Venetian School, London 1959, p. 135 (identification).
The story of Cimone also inspired other famous artists, such as, for example, Peter Paul Rubens (1617) and John. Everett Millais (1848).
Griselda
APOLLONIO DI GIOVANNI, Griselda (Decameron X.10), ca. 1460. Modena, Galleria Estense. Cassone. Cfr. CALLMANN, Apollonio, p. 60, no. 18 and Pls. 112, 113, 116; Decameron, ed. Branca, III, pp. 939, 941, 943.
NICCOLÒ DELL'ABATE, Story of Griselda (Decameron X.10), ca. 1550, Mauriziano (Reggio Emilia), Casino dell'Ariosto. Fresco cycle. Cfr. U. BELLOCCHI, Il Mauriziano, Reggio Emilia 1967, pp. 161-169.
PESELLINO (?), Story of Griselda (Decameron X.10), ca. 1450, Bergamo, Accademia Carrara. Testata to PESELLINO (?), Griselda cassone. Cfr. A. OTTINO DELLA CHIESA, Accademia Carrara, Bergamo 1955, p. 17 and illus.
————(?), Story of Griselda (Decameron X.10), ca. 1450, Bergamo, Accademia Carrara. companion to PESELLINO (?), Griselda testata, Bergamo. Cfr. Decameron, ed. Branca, III, pp. 944-945; H. WOHL, The Paintings of Domenico Veneziano c. 1410-1461, New York and London 1980, p. 155 and pl. 187.
Part 1: Paintings by Unknown Masters
(S. A.) Bibliography: Watson, Paul F. "A Preliminary List of Subjects from Bocaccio in Italian Painting, 1400-1550" Studi sul Boccaccio, Firenze: Sansoni Editore, 1985-6, 15, p. 149-166.