THE UNRELIABLE HISTORICAL RECONSTRUCTION BY MUSSINI
The picture, painted by Luigi Mussini in 1883, show the triumphant Puttino after the victorious challenge with Ruy Lopez in the presence of Philip II (King of Spain).
The pictorial work, also appreciated in the execution, (respectful of the customs of the epoch), it is not, however, a precise historical reconstruction, in comparison to the
historical sources
that we know.
If we attentively read the Chapter V of the book "Il Puttino Altramente detto Il Cavaliero Errante del Salvio" (published in Naples in 1634), where the history of that challenge is narrated, we immediately acknowledge there the mistake.
Salvio writes, in fact:
After the reverence of Lionardo and of Ruy Lopez, the King commanded them to rise. The King commanded that Ruy Lopez and Lionardo played in standing posture nearby to a table.
Don Sebastian
(the King of Portugal)
and
Paolo Boi
(the
Syracusian)
they played thick times together.
And for a lot of hours a day.
In one of these occasions the
King played standing posture and Boi with a knee above a pillow.
After a lot of hours of game the King
it allowed
to Paolo Boi
of to change his position, and to kneel upon the other knee.
Lionardo and Ruy Lopez played five games (the first two won by Lopez and the other three by the Puttino that it assured him the final victory): all the games were rigorously played in standing posture.
To Court the etiquette is absolutely necessary.
To the Majesty presence
was not possible
to sit down for playing to chess as has shown in the painting of Mussini.
To the presence
of the King
it was had to play in knee. This
concept is confirmed by the Carrera of it "Il gioco de gli scacchi" (1617), when it narrates an episode of the life of Paolo Boi: