Florentine crafts made in Florence, Italy, are a centuries-old tradition maintained by several artisan guilds. Florentine style, especially in items produced in from the mid-19th century onward, typically reflect a contemporary interpretation of Renaissance art and furnishings. Popular items made in Florentine style include gilded picture frames, gilded leather, reproduction furniture, gilded decoupage plaques and

triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided ...

s, and tables inlaid with marble and rare wood.

Origins

During the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

, Florence was renowned throughout Europe as a centre of fine art, particularly in painting, gold gilding, bronze work, and furnishings inlaid with intricate designs in marble or rare wood. The fine craft traditions associated with some of these arts never entirely died out in Florence, and remained well-established up to the 19th century. Florence's craft guilds were a crucial force behind the survival of these trades. In an effort to boost Florence's economy, and promote its crafts to tourists, a museum of decorative arts opened in the

Bargello The Bargello, also known as the Palazzo del Bargello, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, or Palazzo del Popolo (Palace of the People), was a former barracks and prison, now an art museum, in Florence, Italy. Terminology The word ''bargello'' appears ...

in 1865. This, in combination with Florence's reputation in fine arts, led to rapid growth in the demand for craft products among tourists, particularly from England. Victorian tourists found many craft shops listed in the back of guide books, such as John Murray's ''Florence and its Environs''.

Decorative style

Florentine style crafts have an ornate appearance, and are typically gold gilded, or have gold paint applied to resemble gilding. Decoupage usually includes reproductions of well-known Classical Florentine art works, which may or may not be religious in nature. Although the reproductions are in many cases a derivative style imitating fine art and fine objects made of rare materials, Florentine crafts aimed at tourists were fashionable, and termed ''buen gusto'', or fine taste, "pure Italian" or "pure Renaissance style". Florentine gold-gilt frames in particular became popular during the late Victorian era; references to such ornate frames appear in period literature, such as Oscar Wilde's ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical '' Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''The Picture of Dorian G ...

''. Florentine-style crafts remain collectable today. Florentine frames and plaques, and reproduction Florentine furniture, are associated with the

Shabby chic Shabby chic is a style of interior design where furniture and furnishings are either chosen for their appearance of age and signs of wear and tear or where new items are distressing, distressed to achieve the appearance of an antique. At the sa ...

style of interior decorating in particular in recent years.

References

{{Reflist Crafts History of Florence

Origins

Decorative style

See also

References