Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana aptly named the Fall Winter 2013 collection Romantic Baroque. A portion of the collection was dedicated to Sicilian heritage: from the veiled widow looks to the incredibly baroque and ornate flower and putti prints. The latter works of art are what we will be concentrating in this issue.

Taken from the grand Sicilian interiors of the baroque period, the putti and the typically Flemish floral still lives on black background which were adopted by the baroque Sicilian painters of the times, influenced the print of the FW13 collection.

 Ceiling fresco, Palazzo Sant Elia, Palermo.

The Baroque period in southern Italy thrived under the patronage of the Spanish bourbons. Pomp and ostentation where very much at the order of the day, and displaying wealth, as well as taste were of primary importance. The buildings, both religious and secular, were exceptionally elaborate from the outside, and equally grand once the doors opened. Gilt décor, mirrors, marble floors and frescos all complimented each other and created beautiful, yet somewhat oppressive rooms.

Artists such as Gaspare Fumagalli, Francesco Sozzi and Pietro Novelli were influenced by the Flemish School and produced exquisite oil on canvas still lives of flowers, as well as fruit and animals. Their art extended to frescos and they were selected to decorate some of the grandest examples of Baroque interior paintings in Sicily.

 Salon, Palazzo Butera, painted by Elia Interguglielmi, Palermo.

Trompe d’oeil effects, such as the statue painted behind the putti in one of the variations of the print in the Dolce&Gabbana print were also extremely popular.

 Putti, details of a fresco painted by Gaspare Fumagalli, Palazzo Bongiorno, Palermo.

The choice of subject as well for the print is also greatly influenced by Baroque aesthetic, the putto, (a naked, plump boy child, sometimes with wings) is a very common icon from the period. The putto is both a sacred and profane symbol, which in a way encompasses everything about the Baroque. In the 17^th century the putto became associated with the Omnipresence of God as an icon, while before, it had always represented romantic love, as its semblances are similar to Cupid/Eros.

 Baroque inspired putti prints from the Dolce&Gabbana Fall Winter 2013 collection.

The Dolce&Gabbana Fall Winter 2013 is much more than just beautiful clothes, but it’s a melting pot of Italian inspirations which heighten and transform our rich heritage into portable art.

Written by: Valentina Zannoni

Credits: Dolce&Gabbana