[MINIATURE PAINTING].

£17,500 · Offered by Sokol Books

.An intriguing painting on vellum, fresh and in very good condition the souvenir of a northern amateur artist s visit to Venice and its notorious nightlife. .The scene is set at the famous Ridotto, a wing of Palazzo Dandolo which, from 1638 to 1774, was a gambling (and flirting) hall frequented by all ranks of Venetians, from prostitutes to aristocrats. (In the mid-C18 it would become one of Casanova s favourite hunting grounds.) The wooden ceiling, chandeliers, tall windows, alternating paintings and candelabra on the walls recall the Ridotto portrayed by Francesco Guardi c.1765. Given that the most famous illustrations of the Ridotto date from the C18, this is possibly the earliest obtainable. In the last days of Carnival, after midnight, an orchestra in the main room played the most common dances; though everyone was allowed to dance, it was usually only those wearing masks who did (Lundy, I, 201). .The masks in the painting include the classic Commedia dell Arte or folkloric figures (Harlequin, Pulcinella, Pantalone), as well as fashionable Oriental costumes. There are typically Venetian accessories, which waned in popularity c.1700, immortalised in the Venetian section of Vecellio s Habiti (1590). The weathercock/flag fan had been widespread in Venice since the late C15. The sopèi , tall wooden shoes originally associated with Venetian prostitutes, also became popular among women of the patriciate in the C17. The numerous women with the moretta (black mask), veil and mu

• Binding: Hardcover

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