Carnival Scene in 17th Century Rome (in Piazza Navona) Roman school of the Bamboccianti (mid-17th century) - workshop of Michelangelo Cerquozzi (Rome 1602 – Rome 1660) Oil on canvas 74 x 96 cm - In frame 88 x 110 cm. Complete details of the work (click HERE) In the context of a large square crowded with masked and costumed figures, the painting depicts a joyful scene during the Carnival celebrations in Rome in the 17th century, and is therefore a very interesting testimony to the customs of the time. The painting is set in Piazza Navona, with the recognizable detail, on the right, of the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, surmounted by the sixteen-meter-high Agonal obelisk, originally placed in the circus of Maxentius on the Appian Way. A city event with ancient origins - inspired by the Saturnalia of the ancient Romans, in which slaves were elevated to the rank of masters, subverting the ordinary social order - the Carnival, starting from the 16th century, became one of the main festivities of papal Rome, and one of the richest and most unbridled in Europe, reaching the Renaissance to be more popular and renowned than the Venetian one. Not simply a party, but an integral part of the City's culture: just as it already happened in ancient times, even the Roman oligarchies granted the population, especially the lower classes, a period dedicated to entertainment. The entire citizenry participated, the lower classes mixed with the powerful, even being able to mock them publicly; protected by the anonymity guaranteed by the masks, a sort of leveling of all social divisions was obtained and one was even authorized to publicly deride the authorities and the aristocracy. People in masks paraded, disguised as characters from the Commedia dell'Arte, especially in the Roman style. Thus via Lata (the current via del Corso), Piazza Colonna and Piazza Venezia became the places dedicated to the unfolding of the festival, allowing the people (and also the masked lords) to take possession of the official status of the festival. Among the various painters who depicted carnival scenes, a prominent place belongs to the Roman Michelangelo Cerquozzi (Rome 1602 – 1660), to whose workshop we can easily trace our work. Active mainly in Rome, Cerquozzi became known for his membership in the Roman popular Caravaggesque current - defined as the 'school of the Bamboccianti' - a pictorial movement to which Flemish, Dutch and Italian painters adhered, who preferred simple themes with popular scenes drawn from daily life in Rome at the time. . And the Carnival, which lent itself perfectly to a popular narrative iconography, was therefore a typical subject of the "bambocciata": in Cerquozzi's production there are several works with carnival subjects, preserved in various museums and collections, as well as many other authors belonging to the current, for example Jan Miel (see Carnival in Rome, 1653, Madrid Museo del Prado), Johannes Lingelbach (see Carnival in Rome, 1650/1651 Kunsthistorisches Museum). ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The painting is sold complete with a pleasant antique frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet. We take care of and organize the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. If you wish to see this or other works in person, we will be happy to welcome you to our new gallery in Riva del Garda, in Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We are waiting for you! Contact us for any information or to organize a visit, we will be happy to answer you. Follow us also on: https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/