The art of lacquering was introduced in Italy in the 18th century. This decorative technique had been known and practiced in the Far East by the Chinese and Japanese since ancient times. The first to bring it to Europe were nations with strong mercantile cultures, such as the Dutch and Portuguese. In China, the technique of lacquerwork was kept a closely guarded secret. European artistic centers attempted to imitate these imported items in every possible way, but the results were never as hard as the Chinese lacquers. Moreover, over time, European lacquers would often develop cracks. In Italy, the wood preferred by lacquerers was Swiss pine. The surfaces to be decorated were covered with a strip of glued canvas, particularly when there were openings or cracks, which also served to close all the wood's pores. Then, several layers of plaster and glue were applied until a smooth surface was achieved. This is the method used to prepare Venetian furniture for lacquering, which had a much thicker layer of plaster and glue compared to lacquered furniture from Piedmont, Genoa, and other parts of Italy. Once this preparation and the gilding were complete, various layers of sandracca varnish were applied. Sandracca is a resin similar to shellac but much clearer, and it was used as a final varnish for lacquered furniture, as well as to prepare fixatives for pastel or tempera. This resin created a highly glossy finish with good adhesion.
In the early period when lacquered furniture was first imitated, the lacquered furniture produced in Italy remained closely tied to black or red backgrounds with smooth or raised golden figures, depicting chinoiserie scenes. It was only later that craftsmen gained skill and creative freedom, covering surfaces with flowers, birds, landscapes, and scenes of daily life. Alongside this technique, which was a privilege of the wealthy classes, the 18th century saw the flourishing and rise of an imitation technique known as "arte povera" (poor art). Arte povera involved cutting out engravings depicting scenes, landscapes, or flowers. Once cut out, they were colored, and a transparent varnish was applied over the entire surface.
Bibliography
Pinto Pietro, Il mobile italiano dal XV al XIX secolo. Istituto geografico De Agostini SpA, Novara, 1962.
Morazzoni Giuseppe, Il Mobile Veneziano del ‘700. Casa editrice d’arte Bestetti & Tumminelli, Milano, 1927, p. 214.
