Harps in the Salvi collection in films
The gilded harp wreathed with a garland of flowers that is the first exhibit in the Museo dell’Arpa Victor Salvi (open to the public 28 January 2006), has been taken to Paris. It has been lent for use in the French film production of Molière ou le comédien malgré lui, the second full length film by the director Laurent Tirard who is filming over the next few weeks in the castle of Lavigny, near Paris. The loan confirms that the collection of antique harps that can be admired in the Museo dell’Arpa Victor Salvi at Piasco, in the Saluzzese area, is a unique international cultural heritage.
In the splendid castle near to the French capital they are filming a film about the life of the great French comedian. Molière is played by Romain Duris, co-stars are Laura Morante, Fabrice Luchini and Ludivine Sagnier. The film is about an especially beautiful harp built by an anonymous maker in 1760-65. It is a harp with simple-movement pedals that is outstanding for its rich decoration. Of particular note is the wonderful carved garland of flowers that twists around the gilded column. When the harp was found it was completely covered in golden yellow paint. When this paint was removed the harp’s wonderful polychrome colours were restored.
This is not the first time a harp from the Collection has been out on loan. One of the Salvi Collection’s harps was loaned for The Patriot, (1998) by Roland Emmerich with Mel Gibson.
More recently in the film Marie-Antoiniette (2006), with Kirsten Dunst, by the director Sofia Coppola, we can admire another eighteenth century harp made by the lutist Naderman and dated 1783. This too is wonderfully decorated: a winged putto crowns the scroll with the scaly tail descending to the smiling head of jester and sprays of ivy winding around the column. In the centre of the soundboard two exotic dancing women are painted.
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