L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 10 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 L'Italo-Americano I t m a y l o o k a s t h o u g h t h e French have taken over the Seattle Art Museum this fall, as the museum hosts a lavish exhibit on designer Yves Saint Laurent, but persevere and you can still experience a bit of Italy during your next visit. T a k e t h e e s c a l a t o r t o t h e fourth floor, head to the north c o r n e r , a n d w i n d y o u r w a y through galleries that feature a n c i e n t M e d i t e r r a n e a n a n d Islamic art. In a small room just beyond, you'll be transported back in time more than four centuries to a stunning, wood- paneled great room built for a nobleman in the northern Italian town of Chiavenna, nestled in the shadow of the Alps. C a l l e d s i m p l y t h e I t a l i a n Room, it is one of the oldest w o o d - p a n e l e d r o o m s i n t h e United States, according to Julie Emerson, SAM's former curator of decorative arts. Constructed b e t w e e n 1 5 7 5 a n d 1 6 0 0 i n spruce, willow and fir, this love- ly room, called a "stua" in the local dialect, would have been set inside a stone building and include a large stone or tile-cov- ered stove to provide a warm gathering spot for the family on cold winter nights. But don't let this somewhat pedestrian function fool you. The warm glow of the wood paneling, the richly carved ceil- i n g a n d t h e f l u t e d p i l a s t e r s topped with classical capitals were all status symbols, proof beyond a doubt that this room w a s o w n e d b y a w e l l - t o - d o Italian family. It's possible that the original owner was a physi- cian or had a connection with t h e m e d i c a l f i e l d , s u r m i s e d Emerson, because the ceiling medallion includes a carved rep- resentation of an apothecary jar. "For about 350 years, the r o o m s t a y e d i n i t s o r i g i n a l house," said Emerson. "Then in the 1920s, with the great depres- sion in full swing throughout m u c h o f t h e w o r l d , p e o p l e began selling their belongings. These kinds of wood-paneled r o o m s w e r e i n p a r t i c u l a r demand in the U.S., especially with people like John Pierpont Morgan and other wealthy col- lectors." An Italian art dealer, Renato B a c c h i , b o u g h t t h e r o o m , r e m o v e d i t a n d s o l d i t , i n b o a r d s , t o A d o l p h L o e w i , a German-born antiques dealer. "Loewi installed the room in a palazzo in Venice that served as his gallery," said Emerson. "But i n 1 9 3 8 , L o e w i , w h o w a s Jewish, was persecuted by the Fascist government and had to flee Italy. Lucky for us, he fled with his amazing collection, first to Paris and then, the fol- lowing year, to New York City." Eventually, Loewi found a b u y e r f o r t h e I t a l i a n R o o m , a r c h i t e c t J o h n Y e o n , w h o installed it in his San Francisco flat. "Yeon was a well-known modernist architect whom I met in the 1980s," said Emerson. "I h a d h e a r d a b o u t t h e I t a l i a n Room but at that time, I had not RITA CIPALLA seen it assembled. I only saw it in pieces, all 149 of them." Yeon died in 1994 but before the building was sold, his part- ner Richard Louis Brown saw to i t t h a t t h e I t a l i a n R o o m w a s s a v e d . F r o m h i s h o m e i n Portland, Ore., Brown set about f i n d i n g a n e w h o m e f o r t h e ornate Italian Room. B y a h a p p y c o i n c i d e n c e , S A M w a s p l a n n i n g a m a j o r expansion at its downtown loca- t i o n , a n d B r o w n a g r e e d t o d o n a t e t h e r o o m i n Y e o n ' s memory. During the conserva- tion and installation process, visitors could stop by and see the work as it progressed. When the museum reopened in 2007, the Italian Room installation had been completed, recreating the exact angles and dimensions of the original setting. At the time, Emerson noted, there were only two companies qualified to deal with installing such an historic treasure: one in N e w Y o r k a n d t h e o t h e r i n F r a n c e . " W e h i r e d t h e N e w York firm, Traditional Line, to install the room," said Emerson. "It was a fabulous project. The wood panels were hung on a metal steel frame that looked like a huge erector set, using e x i s t i n g n a i l h o l e s . I t t o o k months to complete." Each step of the room's puz- z l e - l i k e r e c o n s t r u c t i o n w a s m a p p e d , d o c u m e n t e d a n d recorded. "The conservation staff had to thoroughly clean all t h e w o o d p a n e l s , b o a r d b y b o a r d , " s a i d E m e r s o n . " W e found candle wax, fly specks, all the little marks the room had acquired during its centuries in Italy. It was a huge job to con- serve it properly." The wood panels are remark- ably intact and original. The windows, chestnut floor and stone fireplace were added later, based on historical Chiavenna designs and materials. Chiavenna, a mountain town in Lombardy, lends its name to t h e v a l l e y ― t h e A l p i n e Valchiavenna―surrounded on three sides by Switzerland. "In the 16th century, Chiavenna was an important customs station and trade center at the junction of two important passes, one going to St. Moritz and the other going northwest to France" said Emerson. "Our Italian Room reflects the French influence, very Northern in style. It's clear this was a town with a lot of money." Today, the Chiavenna area is a veritable open-air museum, b o a s t i n g a n a s s o r t m e n t o f ornately decorated mansions, piazzas graced with beautiful fountains, and exceptional archi- tecture. F o r m a n y o f u s , a t r i p t o Chiavenna might not be possi- ble. But it's reassuring to know that we can experience some of t h e t i m e l e s s b e a u t y o f t h a t region with a quick trip down- town, where the warm glow of the wood-paneled Italian Room beckons us back to another era. Seattle Art Museum's Italian Room brings 16th century Italy to life The Seattle Art Museum's 16th-century Italian Room is one of the oldest wood-paneled rooms on display in the U.S. (Nathaniel Willson) Julie Emerson, former curator of decorative arts at the Seattle Art Museum, was a key player in the acquisition and installation of the Italian Room. (Seattle Art Museum) SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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