A dance in the country
Tiepolo, Giovanni Domenico (1727-1804)
- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
[Museum inv. no.: 1980.67]
Item location
Description
From the Metropolitan Museum of Art website: Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo assisted his father in numerous decorative enterprises, but his own talent lay in evocative depictions of contemporary life, depicted with an incomparable verve and wit. At the center of this composition, an actress dances with a young man wearing the traditional costume of the commedia dell'arte character Mezzetin. Behind them is the masked, comic character of Punchinello, or Punch, who was a favorite of the artist’s. A traveling troupe of commedia dell'arte actors is entertaining a party of Venetians enjoying a summer holiday on the mainland. Such performances often ended with a minuet, depicted here. The dancing couple may be the lovers Lelio and Isabella (sometimes called by other names), the only actors in the troupe who did not wear masks. Recognizable in the crowd of onlookers are other Commedia dell’arte characters: Columbine, the masked woman behind the dancers; Pulcinella, the man in white at center with a crooked nose and tall hat (a second Pulcinella is visible behind him); the Doctor, the sinister figure in a black robe and floppy hat; Coviello, the bass player at the right with feathers sprouting from his hat; Harlequin, the acrobat climbing the ladder leaning against one of the trees; and, possibly, Pasquariello, the masked man wearing a ruff and a close-fitting cap talking to the woman seated on the right.Iconclass
48C8543'commedia dell'arte'
43C92
one pair dancing; man and woman dancing as a couple
Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)
Violin [3573]Double bass [3111]
Wind instruments [3730]
Guitar [3237] (held by sketched figure above wall in background)
RIdIM images
