The Spaghetti Eaters (Columbine and Pulcinella) 1745 - 1755

This is a porcelain sculpture made by the Capodimonte Porcelain Manufactory in Italy, sometime between 1740 and 1759. The work depicts the characters Columbine and Pulcinella eating spaghetti. This factory in Naples was founded by King Charles VII. Aristocratic patronage had a huge impact on eighteenth-century art, as it funded production, but also directed subject matter. The factory’s decision to represent two characters from the commedia dell’arte suggests the social function of this sculpture. Commedia dell’arte was a popular, theatrical form of entertainment, and the factory catered to the tastes of their wealthy clientele who probably enjoyed attending such performances. The sculpture then, gives us insight into the performative arts and the social entertainments of eighteenth-century Neapolitan society. If you're interested in learning more about this topic, explore theatre and class in eighteenth-century Naples through archival holdings, such as playbills, diaries, letters, and administrative records.