Pulcinellopaedia Seraphiniana

FromtheintriguingmindbehindCodexSeraphinianuscomesthisbeautifullyillustratedtributetothefamedNeapolitancharacterPulcinella(or"Punch"asheisreferredtoinEnglish).ThisshortmonographonPulcinellaisconceivedasaextensionoftheCodexSeraphinianus,anencyclopediafilledwithvariationsandfantasiesonatheme.PulcinellopaediaSeraphinianacontainsoveronehundredextraordinarygraphiteillustrationswithscarletaccents,someofwhicharedepictedincomic-stripstyle.ConceivedasamusicalSuite,itisdividedintoninesceneswithanintermission.Itfeaturestheoddlysurrealandgloballyrecognizedcharacter,whoseoriginshavebeenlostinthemistsofthetime.AnancestorofPulcinellawascertainlyMaccus,theprotagonistoftheAtellanaeFabulae,verypopularfarcesinancientRome,butitwasintheearlyseventeenth-centurythatthecharacterassumedthenameandcostumethatweallknow.Distinguishedbyalongnoseandtypicallydressedinwhitewithablackmask,Pulcinellaisoftendepictedinvariouskindsofmisadventuresandsingingaboutlove,hunger,andmoney.AshefamouslydidintheCodex,LuigiSerafini,hascreatedPulcinellopaediaSeraphinianainauniquelanguageallitsown,andhasfilleditwithfascinatingandmysteriousillustrationsthatwillnodoubtpromptdevoteestoobsessivelytrytodeciphertheartist’sintention.WrittenbySerafini’simaginativecoauthorandalterego"P.Cetrulo,"whorepresentsPulcinellahimself,thebookartfullypresentsthestrugglesofarebelliousantiherowhomustcometogripswiththechallengesofeverydaylife.Originally,abookaboutPulcinellaandhisworldappearedin1984,afterSerafini’sinvolvementwiththe1982CarnivalofVenice,thefirstrevivalofthefamousfestivityaftertwocenturiesofsilence.Nowmorethanthreedecadeslater,thisneweditionhasbeenextensivelyrevisedandincludesanewafterwordbytheauthor.Likeitspredecessor,theoriginaleditionbecameimmenselysoughtafterandhighlyvaluable,fetchingmorethanonethousanddollarsifbookcollectorswereluckyenoughtogettheirhandsonacopy.AllfansofSerafini’sworkwilltreasurethisvolume.Rizzoliwillalsopublishadeluxelimitededitionwithasignedandnumberedprint.