Page 204 - SUMMARIES OF GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO’S DECAMEON : A Visionary Journey In 100 Stories And 100 Etchings By Petru Russu

Calandrino’s Misadventure: A Painter’s Illusion
SURREAL DISTORTIONS AND
EXAGGERATED FIGURES HEIGHTEN
THE COMEDIC ABSURDITY OF
DECEPTION, EMPHASIZING FOLLY
AND HUMAN EMOTIONS.
DECAMERON 202
In the cool countryside near Florence, Calandrino, the perpetually foolish
and credulous painter, is once again drawn into the web of illusion spun by
his equally mischievous companions, Bruno, Buffalmacco, and Nello. The
quiet estate at Camerata becomes the stage for this comedic tale, made
all the more dramatic by Calandrino’s boundless imagination and stubborn
belief in romantic ideals.
One afternoon, while performing a mundane task of fetching water, Calandrino
crosses paths with Niccolosa, a strikingly beautiful woman who exudes
confidence and elegance. Her coy behavior, a mere game to amuse herself,
sends Calandrino spiraling into romantic obsession. Every sigh, glance, and
smile from her becomes a declaration of love in his eyes. Convinced that fate
has delivered him his soulmate, he abandons his chore and returns to his
friends, gushing with excitement over his newfound passion.
Bruno, Buffalmacco, and Nello, always ready for a laugh, quickly catch on
to his infatuation and decide to indulge in a bit of theatrical mischief. They
claim that she might be Filippo’s neglected wife, yearning for true love, and
suggest that Calandrino is just the kind of gentle soul who could win her
heart if he tried hard enough.
Thus begins an absurd campaign of courtship. Bruno crafts fake spells,
Buffalmacco invents rituals, and Nello writes romantic nonsense, all to trick
Calandrino into performing one ridiculous act after another. But just as he
is about to declare his passion, destiny, or rather, his wife Monna Tessa,
erupts onto the scene. Fierce, sharp-tongued, and thoroughly unimpressed,
she disrupts his romantic fantasy in a fiery confrontation that leaves no
room for ambiguity. The result? Calandrino is ridiculed, reprimanded, and
reminded once again that he is an eternal fool.
203