Men Playing Boccie in a Village 

Ercole Bazicaluva rendered this pen and brown ink drawing of men playing boccie in a village in Italy, sometime in the first half of the 17th century. Here, the artist gives us a scene of leisure, framing a popular social activity within the architecture of everyday life. The image creates meaning through its cultural references; boccie, a lawn bowling game, suggests a specific social setting and perhaps even tells us something about the figures' class. The image shows us the importance of community in the 17th century. How might the rise of artistic academies and shifting patronage have affected the subject matter chosen by artists? What role did art play in shaping social norms and values in 17th century Italy? A historian might look at guild records, letters between patrons and artists, and early publications on art theory. These resources help us to look at art as something that is contingent on its social and institutional context.