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Lot Essay
Chierici embarked on his studies at the Scuola di Belle Artes di Reggio-Emilia and later continued at the Accademia di Modena followed by the Accademia di Firenze from 1858. Despite his more classical training at the Academy, by the 1860's, Chierici's art turned to embrace genre scenes characterized by a pictorial realism. Resulting from his faithful observance of scenes of domestic life, he became known for his depictions of peasants, children and animals, characters that promoted pure and simple family values. His artistic sincerity reflected his own social concerns for the people and earned him the title 'poet of the family' and 'painter of childhood happiness'. Important to Chierici was not just the display of the symbols of daily life such as the furnishings, objects, costumes, children's toys, but the interaction between his characters and the resulting mood that is conveyed.
Chierici's tour de force was the interior scene, and the present work is not only an admirable example of his mature work but is also an exceptionally large composition. In the present work Chierici displays his skill by enriching the scene with objects such as the oriental fan and the marble sculpture of Napoleon on the fireplace, as well as the parasol and the elegant screen placed behind the Veteran. It is through the depiction of these different surfaces that Chierici exhibits his virtuoso as a classically trained artist. The figure of the young boy and his infatuation with the military is emphasized by the recurring theme of Napoleon throughout the composition - the most obvious one being the sculpture above the fireplace. Additionally there is also a print of Napoleon on horseback hanging on the wall to the right of the fireplace, and immediately behind the young boy there is a drawing of Napoleon on the stenciled wall, again on horeseback. Above all it is the intense expression on the young boy's face that communicates his fixation and the depth of his imagination so successfully to the viewer.
Chierici's tour de force was the interior scene, and the present work is not only an admirable example of his mature work but is also an exceptionally large composition. In the present work Chierici displays his skill by enriching the scene with objects such as the oriental fan and the marble sculpture of Napoleon on the fireplace, as well as the parasol and the elegant screen placed behind the Veteran. It is through the depiction of these different surfaces that Chierici exhibits his virtuoso as a classically trained artist. The figure of the young boy and his infatuation with the military is emphasized by the recurring theme of Napoleon throughout the composition - the most obvious one being the sculpture above the fireplace. Additionally there is also a print of Napoleon on horseback hanging on the wall to the right of the fireplace, and immediately behind the young boy there is a drawing of Napoleon on the stenciled wall, again on horeseback. Above all it is the intense expression on the young boy's face that communicates his fixation and the depth of his imagination so successfully to the viewer.