The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 11.2018  Thursday, 2 November 2000.

From:           Ros King <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Thursday, 2 Nov 2000 13:10:25 +0000
Subject: 11.2003 Re: Guilio Romano
Comment:        Re: SHK 11.2003 Re: Guilio Romano

He wasn't a sculptor at all but a painter, architect and interior
designer - including designs for furniture and other moveables. What's
wonderful (to my mind) about his paintings and tapestry designs is their
three dimensional quality, and the fact that his characters always seem
to be caught in the act of speaking and/or leaping out of the frame of
the picture. I think this is central to his presence in Winter's Tale
since Hermione possesses such facility for speech - something which we
can notice as readers and audience members but which is also remarked
upon by other characters - and of course because her 'statue' gets down
off its pedestal. He's unfairly neglected and disparaged as a mannerist,
but I find the exuberance of his subject matter and composition
startling and exciting.

It's possible that some of Guilio's wall paintings for the Gonzaga
palaces circulated in engraved form, thus giving the impression - to
those who hadn't seen the originals - that they were pictures of
roomfuls of sculptures. And yes, the pornography, particularly combined
with Aretino's graphic verses, is great fun.

Best,
Ros

Subscribe to Our Feeds

Search

Make a Gift to SHAKSPER

Consider making a gift to support SHAKSPER.