Poses, Movement & Dance for the Innamorati in late 16th century
Commedia
Cynthia Barnes, Oct 2011
THE YOUNG LOVERS16TH CENTURY DEPICTIONS
Poses, Movement & Dance for the Innamorati in late 16th century Commedia
Cynthia Barnes, Oct 2011
Carnival in Venice1565, with Dancing & Commedia Characters, Hieronymus Francken, Musee Aix-la-Chapelle
Note: every lover looks at his lady; ladies look all over & sometimes even at their guys.
Details of lovers, dancers from Carnival in Venice, 1565 - Hieronymus Francken
Above left: could be an older pair of lovers like our Dottori & Frauzetta.
Right: Low graceful hands of the dancers & musicians – excellent models for our young
Innamorati.
Innamorati “The Lovers” c1572
Ganassa’s troupe with aristocrats of the Court of Charles IX, c1572, detail –
attributed to Franz Pourbus, Musee Bayeux
Front & center: unknown female character pleads with Pantalone.
Back right: The young Innamorati: he’s ever-attentive with head bowed towards her; natural postures, curved arms;
she’s looking elsewhere.
Innamorati “The Lovers” 1578-90
Commedia dell'Arte, c1578-90, lovers detail - Francois Bunel el Joven, Museo Belles Artes, Beziers
Innamorati: • Passing notes with curved hands, pinkies out, dainty fingers. • Faces turned toward the beloved even as they engage the viewer. • Cant keep his hands off of her.
Oddities: • Green slashings on sleeves?• “Cherries out of season” (the Met Museum monograph posits Commedia as a variety show, sometimes with nudity & burlesque-like performances)
Innamorati “The Lovers” 1577
Innamorati: Notice pose of hands – wrists lead. Arms, neck & body curved & graceful despite corset & lute.Left: Isabella, 1577 Right: Leandro, 1577 - unknown source, Recueil Fossard
Innamorati “The Lovers” c1590s
Troupe of Italian Comedians,
c1590s - anon French artist, Musee Beaux
Artes, Beziers, France
Innamorati: They’re in their own little world; nothing exists outside of it.
Innamorati “The Lovers” c1580s-90s
Innamorati: He’s focused solely on her as he plays the lute & leans toward her; she’s aware of other action on the stage & indicates gracefully.
Commedia Scene with Leandro, Lilia , Pantalone & Zany, c1590s - Madrid, Patrimonio Nacional
As we can see her pocket, this tells me that she’s in a level of undress having removed her gown. What ‘s revealed is her petticoat & bodice.
Innamorata “Passing notes” 1590
Innamorata: curved lines, hip shot forward –this is a brazen moment as she interacts with Arlequin.
The maid servant is angular & almost awkward by compare.
Arlequin Disfrazado with Lilia & Lucia, a maidservant, hand in pocket, 1590 –unknown artist, Madrid, Collecion Kyrle Fletcher copy
Innamorata “Passing notes” 1590
Same scene with Arliquin & Lilia, in a different rendering.
Arlequin Disfrazado hand in pocket, 1590 – unknownartist, Madrid, Patrimonio Nacional copy
The Rich Man at the Table and Lazarus at the Door w commedia & feast, 1606 - Sebastian Vrancx, NYPL
Innamorati “The Lovers”
1606
Above: The Rich Man at the Table and Lazarus at the Door, 1606, commedia detail of the lovers – an engraving after Sebastian Vrancx, NYPL
Innamorati: note his leg, pointed toe & graceful leg.Cant keep his hands off of her. She’s is more restrained , yet offers him hope of success.
BTW, the parrot nearby is a symbol of physical love.
Ladies vs Pantalone
Left: Woman with whip? Tragicomédie cover, c1600 -Aquarelle anonyme, Biblioteca Orsiniana, Rome
Right: Pantalone leaves for battle, woman at window withhankie, fresco, end 16th c - Alessandro Scalzi, Castello diTrausnitz, Barvaria
FOOLISH OLD MEN AND LUST16TH CENTURY DEPICTIONS
Poses, Movement & Dance for the Innamorati in late 16th century Commedia
Cynthia Barnes, Oct 2011
Innamorati “Old Men in Love”
1570-80
Commedia troupe Gelosi, 1570-80 –anonymous probably Flemish, Musée Carnavalet
Innamorata: a demure response to Pantalone, her face is turned, but her eyes look toward him. She carries a fan or gloves.
Right: A crazy moment at the Bagpipe Inn, unknown date,
but may be 1570s 80s –unknown French engraver,
Recueil Fossard
Innamorata:• Notice pose of her hand (with a wrist lead) as she repulses a zanni, yet her body leans in adding energy to the interaction. • Arms curved & graceful even as she’s carried by Pantaion (sic) and Zaxy (sic).• She carries a flower, another key prop for the innamorata.
In contrast , Nodet & Tifita (Tiffia?), the taverner & wife are solid & vertical.
Nb. The rabbit, bottom center, is a symbol of lust.
Innamorata “Old Men & Love”
Left: Francesquina (a malicious servant) tempts the miser.Above: Innamorata: “come here/go away”, she leans away from his amorous advances, yet leans in. Skepticism, perhaps?
Left: Pantalone dances with Francesquina (a malicious servant), detail, late 16th c - unknown artist, Recueil FossardAbove: Commedia innamorata & Pantelone, detail of female lover unknown date, artist or source – from larsdatter archive
Innamorata “Old Men & Love”
Pantalone or another hunched-back character dances with a fashionable woman (unknown innamorata character) who’s holding a hankie. A musician plays for them.
Above: Commedia Scena di Danza - Palazzo Berla, Mantova
Innamorata “Old Men & Love”
Innamorata: “come here, big guy” she coyly tempts Pantalone (usually to gain from his money, provide a distraction or make him a fool). Note bent wrist as she trails the hankie almost as bait.
Above: bottom register of Commedia scenes wall fresco - Antonio Ponzano, Castello di TrausnitzLeft: redrawn & reversed
Innamorata “Old Men & Love” Innamorata: the
sensible? guileful? older Innamorata moves with some dignity lead by foolish Pantalone. Note the more angular elbow as she hoists skirts & treads purposely.The hankie is a signature prop.
Commedia sketch, unknown date - after Ambrogio Brambilla, Recueil Fossard, Copenhagen
Innamorati “The Lovers” late 16th century
Notice graceful wrists & hands on both
lovers. Notice her bent wrists as she gives
Pantalone the glasses.
Nb. She’s dressed. if you can call it that,
only in veils. Burlesque or just the artist’s
preference ?
Right: Femme Entre Deux Ages, late 16th c – unknownFrench artist, Musee Rennes
Innamorati “Old Men & Love”
The young lovers get some face time while Pantalonedoes something foolish & his pants fall down (or rather they defy gravity & fall up).
Unusually, the lady is enchanted with her young man.
Street actors cropped - GiacomoFranco
Innamorati “Old Men & Love” early 17th c
Notice graceful wrists & hands as the gypsy(?) ladies distract & rob a lascivious character.
Commedia dell’Arte scene, said to be early 17th c -unknown Flemish master, unknown source.
17TH CENTURY DEPICTIONS OF THE LOVERS
Poses, Movement & Dance for the Innamorati in late 16th century Commedia
Cynthia Barnes, Oct 2011
Innamorati “The Lovers” 1620s
Above: a woman, 1622 - Jacques Callot, probably from Balli di Sfessania
Above: Riciulina detail, c1622 - Jacques Callot, Balli di Sfessania
Left: a high status woman with solid stance & quiet hands shows her to be a woman of substance or sense. She’s “grounded”.
Right: our flighty Innamorata, all
fluttery hands, tippy-toes, feathers, ribbons
& bows shows her “light-mindedness”.
Banquet in the countryside, commedia and feast, 1620 - Sebastiaan Vrancx, Szepmüveszeti Museum
Innamorati “The Lovers” c1620
Counter-balanced posesAbove: lovers detail from Banquet in the countryside, Innamorati detail, 1620 - Sebastiaan Vrancx, Szepmüveszeti Museum
Notice graceful wrists & hands
on all of the lovers.
Florinda carries a fan.Right: Florinda(lovers), 1618 -Lichomezi featherbook
Innamorati “The Lovers” 1618
Notice graceful wrists & hands on both lovers.
Right: Amoureaux (lovers), 1618 - Lichomezi featherbook
Looking further, is this Flavia a male character in drag for some twisty plot
reason? The chin shadow, cropped shaggy hair, big hands, vertical stance make me
wonder. Still, she has her hankie.
Innamorati “The Lovers” 1618
Left: Leander Right:
Schapin & Spineta(lovers), 1618 -
Lichomezi featherbook
Compare the lady above right with the previous one. They’re both by the same artist.
Look a the body twist on the young man at left.
Innamorati “The Lovers” 1618
Let’s take a bow.
Left: Lovers, taking bows, 1618 - Lichomezi featherbook, McGill University
BibliographyEarly Paintings of the Commedia dell’Arte in France, Charles Sterling, monograph, Met
Museum NYC, JSTOR.The Art of Commedia: a study in the Commedia dell'Arte 1560-1620 with Special Reference to
the Visual record, M. A. Katritzky, Google Ebooks.Website of the Recueil Fossard, Stockholm.www.shane-arts.com/Commedia-Innamorati.htm
The paintings, illustrations & graphics Works listed in date order. Artist’s name or title of work given along with current location, if known.
Carnival in Venice with Dancing & Commedia, 1565 – Hieronymus Francken, Musee Aix-la-Chapelle
Ganassa’s troupe w aristocrats of the Court of Charles IX, c 1571, pre-1579 – Frans Pourbus, Musee Bayeux
Commedia dell'Arte, c1578-90 – Francois Bunel el Joven, Museo Belles Artes BeziersCommedia troupe Gelosi, 1570-80 - Musée CarnavaletFemme Entre Deux Ages, late 16th c – unknown artist, Musee RennesArlequin Disfrazado, 1590 – unknown artist, Madrid, Patrimonio Nacional copyArlequin Disfrazado, 1590 – unknown artist, Madrid, Collecion Kyrle Fletcher copy
The paintings, illustrations & graphics Works listed in date order . Artist’s name or title of work given along with current location, if known.
Tragicomédie cover, Aquarelle anonyme, c1600 - anon, Biblioteca Orsiniana, Rome
The Rich Man at the Table and Lazarus at the Door , 1606 - Sebastian Vrancx, NYPL
Commedia Scena di danza (fresco) – Palazzo Berla, Mantova
Commedia scenes fresco – Antonio Ponzano, Castello di Trausnitz, Bavaria
Serenata di Pantalone e Zanni fresco, late 16th c – Alessandro Scalzi, Castello di Trausnitz
Commedia Sérénade de Pantalon, late 16th – anon, Drottingholms Teatermuseum
Commedia dell’Arte scene, early 17th c – unknown Flemish master
Léandre, Florinda, Mario & Flavia, Scapino & Spineta et al, 1618 – various illustrations from the Lichomezi featherbook, McGill University
Banquet in the countryside, c1620s – Sebastiaan Vrancx, Szepmüveszeti Museum
See also: Lodewyck Toeput, called Lodovico Pozzoserrato, collection of Count Karatsonyi in Budapest
See also: Theodore de Vries, Giacomo Franco
Carnival Scene commedia dell' Arte mingle with party guests
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