Faustino Bocchi

Faustino Bocchi (Brescia 1659-1742) A palace interior with figures feasting signed with initials 'B D I' (on dog collar, lower right) oil on canvas 115 x 152.3cm (45 1/4 x 59 15/16in). Footnote: PROVENANCE: Acquired by the grandfather of the present owner circa 1930, and thence by descent The present lot is most comparable with Bocchi's Marriage Feast , which formed part of the set of four satirical scenes that were with Herner Wengraf Ltd, London, in 1972.

Faustino Bocchi (Brescia 1659-1741) Dwarves rescuing a child from a chicken oil on canvas, unlined 7½ x 14¾ in. (19 x 37.5 cm.) According to Lanzi, Bocchi was a pupil of Angelo Everardi,called Fiamminghino, which would account for his clear knowledge ofFlemish 'low-life' painting, visible, for example, in the way inwhich his subjects recall those of Hieronimus Bosch. The artistprobably knew the work of Bosch from the engravings after hiscompositions which were popular in the seventeenth century. Othersources for his satirical depictions of dwarves were the engravingsby Jacques Callot, the caricature drawings of his Florentinepredecessor, Baccio del Bianco, and perhaps also through Pier LeoneGhezzi, who was an exact contemporary in Rome. However, Bocchideveloped a highly personal genre, whose originality is illustratedby the fact that it predates Swift's famous book Gulliver'sTravels. When it was first published in 1726 the artist was alreadysixty-seven, however he soon learned about the stories of theLilliputians, several of which he depicted.

Faustino Bocchi (Brescia 1659-1741)
Dwarves in a landscape
Add. Notes: signed (?) indistinctly (lower right) oil on canvas 29 1/8 x 38¼ in. (74 x 97 cm.)
Notes: According to Lanzi, Bocchi was a pupil of Angelo Everardi, called Fiamminghino, which would account for his clear knowledge of Flemish 'low-life' painting, visible, for example, in the way in which his subjects recall those of Hieronimus Bosch. The artist probably knew the work of Bosch from the engravings after his compositions which were popular in the seventeenth century. Another source for his satirical depictions of dwarves were the engravings by Jacques Callot, the caricature drawings of his Florentine predecessor, Baccio del Bianco, and perhaps also through Pier Leone Ghezzi, who was an exact contemporary in Rome. However, Bocchi developed a highly personal genre, whose originality is illustrated by the fact that it predates Swift's famous book Gulliver's Travels. When it was first published in 1726 the artist was already sixty-seven, however he soon learned about the stories of the Lilliputians, several of which he depicted.
Provenance: Anonymous sale; Galerie George Giroux, Brussels, 11 March 1929, lot 17. with Léon Seyffers, Brussels.
Exhibited: [Possibly] Brussels, Musée de Beaux-Arts, until 1929.
Literature: P. Bautier, 'Faustino Bocchi peintre de nains', Revue belge d'archeologie et d'historire de l'art, XXVIII, 1957, p. 208, fig. 3. M.A. Baroncelli, 'Faustino Bocchi, Enrico Albricci pittori di Bambocciate', Commentari dell'Ateneo di Brescia, 1965, p. 107, no. 23. M. Olivari, Faustino Bocchi e l'arte di figurar pigmei, Milan, 1990, p. 73, no. A 40, illustrated.

DESCRIPTION a pair, both oil on copper, in carved and gilt wood frames Quantity: 2 PROVENANCE George Henry Pinckney (1811-1883) of Tawstock Court, North Devon; Thence by descent to his wife, Mrs. Pinckney of Feniton Court, South Devon; Thence by descent to their daughter Georgiana Sophia Maria Pinckney, Marchioness of Ailesbury (1848-1902), wife of Lord Henry Augustus Brudenell-Bruce, 5th Marquess of Ailesbury (1842-1911), Tottenham Park, Savernake Forest, Wiltshire; Professor Sir Albert Richardson (KCVO, PPRA, FSA); Thence by descent. CATALOGUE NOTE Although the subjects are unique in Bocchi's ?uvre, the motif of grotesque figures playing an over-sized violin recurs in other paintings by the artist: see, for example, the painting signed and inscribed " Bocchi Pittor' e Musico " in a private collection, Brescia (M. Olivari, Faustino Bocchi e l'arte di figurar pigmei 1659-1741 , Milan 1990, p. 52, cat. no. A 19, reproduced in colour).

Faustino Bocchi (Brescia 1659-1741) The concert inscribed 'Sel Capriccio inpregnasse la Chimera per far prole di mostri, e bizari, apresso a questo le sebia stampie Che qua de i schiribizi se la mere... in disesse di me in costessa istoria é questa cene es mio scrito une del caramal sente fiodor ma l'invention nostra cos la sia.' (lower right, on a cloth). oil on canvas 49 x 79½ in. (124.5 x 202 cm.) Provenance Geri Sale, Milan, 4-13 October 1937, no. 134. with the Central Picture Galleries, New York, 1964. with the Alan Gallery, New York. Purchased by the father of the present owner. Lot Notes According to Lanzi, Bocchi was a pupil of Angelo Everardi, called Fiamminghino, which would account for his clear knowledge of Flemish 'low-life' painting visible, for example, in the way in which his subjects recall those of Hieronymus Bosch. The artist probably knew the work of Bosch from the engravings after his compositions, which were enormously popular in the seventeenth century. Another source for his satirical depictions of dwarves were the engravings by Jacques Callot, the caricature drawings of his Florentine predecessor, Baccio del Bianco, and perhaps also Pier Leone Ghezzi, who was an exact contemporary in Rome. However, Bocchi developed a highly personal genre, whose originality is illustrated by the fact that it predates Swift's famous book Gulliver's Travels. When it was first published in 1726 the artist was already sixty-seven, however he soon learned about the stories of the Lilliputians, several of which he depicted. The monumental scale of this hitherto unpublished picture, the copy made of it (private collection, Rome) and the copies of details of it (Musée National, Rouen; M. Olivari, Faustino Bocchi, Milan/Rome, 1990, nos. C 25 and C 26) attest to its promenance in the artist's oeuvre.