Italian Hall Bench/Painted Cassapanca
18th c. Italian hall bench/Cassapanca with original painted finish of a trompe-l'oeil (to fool the eye) three dimensional architectural elements framing a landscape. Seat opens for storage. Was likely used in an entry hall for seating and storage. C 1750
When a cassone or "large chest" belonging to rich Italian merchants and aristocrats in the Late Middle Ages was provided with a high paneled back, it evolved into a cassapanca, "chest-bench", which was the forerunner of the sofa. The Italian Renaissance painted cassapanca ( kas-uh-pang-kuh) , while functioning as piece of furniture, was also a canvas for the exuberant decoration of painters from the Baroque era. These artists would cover the entire surface of the bench and back panel with crests, legendary figures and trompe-l’oeil, French for "fool the eye". Sometimes called illusionist furniture, this style of painted furniture dates back to the early Renaissance where ceilings, walls, and even furniture was painted to portray three dimensional architectural and sculptural elements. -Lisa Farmer Designs
57”l x 13”d x 73”h
45-270
