Lo Scalco alla Moderna 1694

Antonio Latini created this print, titled "Lo Scalco alla Moderna," as part of a culinary manual offering insights into 17th-century aristocratic dining. The arrangement of knives, forks, and spoons on a platter reflects the formal etiquette and theatricality of courtly life. The forks themselves mark a cultural shift; introduced from Italy, they were viewed with skepticism and even disdain in other parts of Europe. Latini himself was an advocate for their use, and his manual promoted a new way of eating that emphasized order, cleanliness, and refinement. The print provides us with a glimpse into the power dynamics of the kitchen as well as the dining room. Who got to eat with these utensils? Who was excluded? The focus on presentation—the precise arrangement of silverware—reveals an obsession with control and status. It also suggests the labor involved in maintaining such standards, the unseen hands of servants and cooks who made this display possible. Latini’s print is therefore more than a display of dining implements. It is a symbolic representation of a society deeply invested in appearances, where every object, every gesture, tells a story of power, privilege, and exclusion.