Cleveland Museum of Art
Figure of Pantalone
Mennecy Factory
- Date
- c. 1755
- Medium
- soft-paste porcelain with enamel decoration
- Culture
- France, Mennecy, 18th century
- Department
- Decorative Art and Design
- Institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
The commedia dell’arte , a form of Italian improvisational theater, became widely popular in 18th-century Europe. This figure, with his prominent beard and distinguishing black robe, represents the character of elderly Venetian merchant Pantalone. Depicted in paintings and porcelain, the popularity of these figures demonstrated the influence of the theater on the tastes of the wealthy. In the commedia dell’arte, Pantalone was known for his greed, lust, and buffoonery that made him the target of jokes.
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