The Midday Meal

Chierici was the most important Italian genre painter of his day, and the first to find popular success outside of his own country, predominantly in England and Austria but also in the United States. His amusing narratives, usually centered around children, are notable for his refined technique, a reflection of his classical training, which rendered objects in minute, almost photographic detail. Achieved through the fine application of multiple layers of thin glazes, Chierici rendered his brushstrokes almost invisible, and gave the objects within his paintings an extraordinary plasticity and sheen. His typical subject matter reflected his own social concerns and earned him the title 'poet of the family' and 'painter of childhood happiness'. It was not just the display of the symbols of daily life such as the furnishings, objects, costumes, and children's toys that were important to Chierici, but the interaction between his characters and the resulting mood that he could convey.