[Sca-cooks] Kitchen Scene by Campi

[Decker, Terry D.]

The table you see being set is very probably the Lord's table being set for
in family dining and may be a reflection of The Lord's table being set for
the Last Supper.  Campi's original training was in painting religious scenes
often with related secondary scenes (removed in time and\or space) from the
foreground scene.  This painting is from the period when he moved from
religious works to still life, portrait, and contemporary studies.

If you look at "Christ in the House of Mary and Martha," the primary scene
is of the food for the kitchen, while the religious relationship is in the
background scene.  Campi continued to use the technique of providing
information about the foreground scene in the background scenes even when he
moved to secular work.

The shift to separate dining is largely 16th Century.

Bear

> What I find interesting is the dining table showing in the
> background.  Does
> anybody know when the staff started dining separately?
>
> Eleanor
>