In the California (Crockett) home of dear friends, the Chaves, who often generously shared their European home exchanges, there was a statuette of Pulcinella. Pulcinella is a character in Commedia dell’arte street theater originating from Campagnia, Italy. He was commonly called a “cockerel.” His mask with a beaked nose gave him his name meaning “young chick.” He had a big nose, squeaky voice, and acted like a clown and was viewed as a charlatan, lazy bones, tumbler and acrobat. Even Tiepolo painted him on the walls and ceilings of the Villa Zianigo in Venice.
So, when I was asked to paint a mural on the wall of the Chaves’ staircase, I decided to include Pulcinella sitting on a balcony railing surrounded by a lovely arch and looking in the distance past a pond with cypress trees. At the right is a peacock, the favorite bird of our wonderful young friend, Lucy. I also incorporated little critters crawling around the wall including a salamander and a butterfly.
