Chloe (?) and an Infant Satyr

Santo Varni (Genoa 1807–1885) to a design by Michele Canzio (1787–1868) (Genoa 1807–1885) to a design by Michele Canzio (1787–1868)
Chloe (?) and an Infant Satyr
Stuccowork on the east wall,1842
The Ballroom

According to the 19th-century documentation, the Genoese artist Michele Canzio designed to decoration for the room as a whole, not only the ceiling and walls but probably also the floor. An architect, painter, sculptor, interior decorator and set designer, Canzio also designed some of the furnishings, like the two console tables with mirrors on the north wall, as well as the accessories of the drapery. The abundant records include the estimates submitted by artists on the basis of a general plan in which with work was specified in detail. The architect and set designer Giuseppe Ghezzi was responsible for the architectural parts of the room’s stucco decoration and Santo Varni for the figures, possibly on Ghezzi’s recommendation. Varni offered reassuring continuity with the past in his classical approach while also keeping up to date with the cultural developments of naturalism and romanticism. The work on the Genoese palace, one of his first public commissions, earned him the title of “honorary sculptor to His Majesty” and paved the way for long involvement with the royal family.