Allusions

Our main image by Meli Valdés Sozzani seems to be the only direct reference to the novella about the goslings. It shows Boccaccio pointing at the Decameron while firmly holding a goose. Since this novella is not really about the bird, it is no surprise that other allusions in art show no trace of goslings. That said, there are various artists who have used this novella as their source of inspiration.

In 15th century German literature we find a similar story to Bocaccio’s novella of the goslings: Ein junger Brüder wollt’ gern eine Gans habenSee p 36. However, the son does not say anything after his father tells him the women are geese. Later, he cries and tells his father that he wants a goose so badly! The inspiration for this novella is probably taken from the Decameron. This novella is from around 1510 and was taken from: Die komische und humoristische Literatur der deutschen Prosaisten des 16 Jahrhunderts.Johann Gailer von Kaisersberg, ca. 1510. Translated from the edition Deutsche Schwänke, herausgegeben von Leander Petzoldt (Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam jun., 1979), no. 64, p. 78. Translation 1998 by D. L. Ashliman

The 101st novella was also retold by La Fontaine, a famous French writer, in his Les Oies de Frère Philippe (Brother Philippe’s Geese). It was first published in 1668 in Fontaine’s second book and is very much in line with the original, with the exception of the punchline. As those fables became popular throughout France and all of Europe, they attracted the attention of artists. This fable has been painted multiple times, of which we give four examples below.Information for these objects come from Eclecticligt