MICHELANGELO CERQUOZZI | Commedia dell'Arte troupe performing in an interior

Anonymous sale, Zürich, Schuler, 11 December 2009, lot 4315.

The Commedia dell'Arte was a subject popular with the Bamboccianti, the group of Northern European artists active in Rome in the 1630s around Pieter van Laer (nick-named il Bamboccio), who specialised in paintings of low-life scenes set in the Roman campagna. Here, depicted lower left and right are the zanni - the clowns - one in bright costume, drinking from a flagon, another with a long nose and guitar watching the musical gathering on the stage. Behind him is the doctor, a character habitually portrayed as an incompetent charlatan - he is shown here leading a hapless buffoon, most probably towards some kind of quack form of treatment.