Antique painting on wood panel (Arte Povera), Venice, 18th century

Antique round panel painting on wood with a gilded frame— Depicting a genre scene—From Venice, 18th century. Frame diameter: 25 cm In Venice and in the antiques world, the term “arte povera” refers to an 18th-century decorative technique (also known as “lacca povera”). To offer affordable alternatives to rich lacquered furniture, Venetian artisans would glue prints and engravings onto wood, painting and finishing them to imitate original paintings. In this case, only the figures are applied from paper; the rest is hand-painted. Venetian cabinetmakers used printed paper (often engravings by great artists) that was cut out, glued onto furniture, trays, or frames, and then painted and finished with protective varnishes.The meaning: “Povera” refers to the piece’s affordability. It allowed those who could not afford original oil paintings or Oriental lacquerware to own objects decorated with taste and color.