Flamboyant stock characters, basic plots, improvised dialogue, and outdoor performances were key features of the commedia dell’arte. Its humorous plots frequently revolved around the trials and tribulations of young lovers. Actors unbounded by precise lines were able to shape their performances to fit their audience; they often partook in political commentary and earthy humor that skirted censorship. The Italian theatrical form was also an ideal subject matter for the 18th-century Rococo movement.
Commedia dell’arte, or comedy of professional artists, was extremely popular throughout Europe from the 16th to the 19th centuries as musical theater. It originated in 15th-century northern Italy as a reaction against the commedia erudite, a scholarly and elitist type of theater, before quickly spreading throughout the continent and the British Isles.
The Father of Rococo
Traveling troupes were adored at foreign courts, particularly in France, with artists taking up the brush to capture such scenes in paint. The most famous artistic propagator of the commedia dell’arte theme was Watteau (1684–1721), who was one of the most important 18th-century French artists and is considered the father of Rococo painting.
The Rococo style originated in Paris. Its name comes from the French word “rocaille,” which translates as rock or broken shell. It is characterized by soft, muted colors, curvaceous, asymmetrical lines, charming florals, elegant subject matter, and small-scale canvases. Compositions strike a balance between ornamentation and naturalism as they celebrate leisure and amorous activities.
A new category of painting, invented in this era by Watteau, is known as “fête galante.” These canvases specifically portray refined aristocrats and theatrical figures in verdant, imaginary landscapes. While successive artists who took up the category created festive environments, Watteau’s works are noted for an enigmatic wistfulness.
An excellent example of Watteau’s style and ambiance is the innovative masterwork “Mezzetin” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, formerly in the collection of Catherine the Great of Russia. The eponymous figure is a comic archetype from the commedia dell’arte who is always portrayed as scheming and intrusive, albeit lovelorn and sentimental. The attribute of unrequited love is emphasized by the female statue seen in the distance who has her back turned to Mezzetin. He wears the costume traditionally associated with the character: floppy hat, short cape, striped jacket, ruff, and knee britches, which are all beautifully painted. The suit is gray-blue, rose, and white colored silk.
Mezzetin is shown seated outside a building on a stone bench in lush gardens. With his head angled he gazes forlornly, pining for love as he plays a guitar. Watteau delicately painted Mezzetin’s bearded face and large hands. The lifelike, detailed qualities Watteau captured are remarkably well preserved in the touching painting. His artistic practice was to work from closely observed models. A preparatory drawing for the character’s head is also part of The Met’s collection.
Much of Watteau’s life remains shrouded in mystery. Despite his provincial origins, innate talent and originality propelled his career. He was accepted into the Academy in his late 20s and had distinguished private clients.
A Scene From the Commedia dell’Arte
Lancret, the son of a coachman, was born in Paris and lived his entire life in the capital city. He intended to become a history painter, which at the time was considered the most prestigious picture category. In 18th-century France, “peinture de genre,” or genre painting, was a term used to suggest all subjects other than history, and Lancret became one of the most important artists working in this mode. He, too, had influential collectors, including Louis XV of France and Frederick II of Prussia.
While he never directly studied under Watteau, Lancret was greatly inspired by the “fête galante.” However, he made his own mark on the genre and is appreciated for saturating his output with contemporary elements, wit, and expert use of color. In the 1720s and 1730s, he created a number of works featuring figures from the commedia dell’arte. The latter decade is distinguished by especially well-received pictures, such as “A Scene From the Commedia dell’Arte With Harlequin and Punchinello” at the National Trust’s property Waddesdon Manor in Britain.
In this work, fashionable ladies and girls are entertained by and mingle with a group of commedia dell’arte actors in a picturesque park. Multiple recognizable personalities are shown or suggested. For instance, Punchinello, cunning and cantankerous, is identifiable by his stomach girth and tall conical hat. This character has been interpreted as a representation of man and his foibles. Donning a mustard yellow suit trimmed in blue and red, Punchinello dances in front of his gullible rival Harlequin, who wears a distinctive costume with bright red, green, and blue lozenge-shaped patches. Harlequin is masked, as were most commedia dell’arte characters when performing, although Mezzetin never wore one. This tradition of wearing masks stemmed from ancient Roman theatrical comedies.
At left, the woman outfitted with a hat who raises her arm theatrically may be identified as Columbine. She is the intelligent and flirtatious romantic partner of Harlequin. The character Pierrot is seated on the other side of the canvas, wearing his typical white clothes. His traits include being sweet-natured, but naïve, lovesick, and melancholy. The Met researcher Jennifer Meagher wrote, “This character was later championed by French literati of the nineteenth century, who saw the creative and solitary Pierrot as a metaphor for contemporary artists.”
Tiepolo’s Minuet
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo was the son of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, the greatest Italian Rococo artist. Tiepolo the younger began his career as his father’s assistant. While his artistic legacy has been overshadowed by his father, who is celebrated for complex and exuberant allegorical scenes painted and frescoed, the son was an accomplished painter in his own right. Young Tiepolo’s subjects are contemporaneous, albeit idealized.
At the time of the painting’s creation, the dance known as a minuet had become widely popular. It is a slow, elegant dance for two partners in triple time. Commedia dell’arte performances often concluded with a minuet. Tiepolo used this dance as a theme in three other paintings. The artist devoted the latter part of his career to depicting Punchinello in an abundant cycle of drawings and a series of frescos. Tiepolo’s commedia dell’arte output is imbued with artistic flair, irreverence, and irony.
These works by Watteau, Lancret, and Tiepolo pay tribute to the transformative impact of the commedia dell'arte while showcasing the virtuosic skill of each artist in creating timeless beauty.
