"Scène de banquet sous la Renaissance", Venise, 16 e s.

Curious banquet scene: on either side of a long table covered with an embroidered tablecloth, richly dressed characters, including a crowned king, observe a young dancing couple. The central figure, turned towards the spectator and wearing a sort of green doge's cap, seems not to appreciate the intimacy of the couple of dancers... On the left of the stage, a figure dressed in red, wearing a a Turkish cap, a young woman playing the lyre, and a young boy bringing a kind of brazier. these last three from behind. beautiful overall composition made dynamic by the different inclinations and the gestures of the protagonists. Perhaps a scene from the Old Testament transposed to the Renaissance? Oil on canvas re-lined in the 19th century, wear, usual restorations. Italy, Venice, 2nd half of the 16th c. This painting is to be compared to "The parable of the rich and the poor", and the "Wedding of Cana" two works by Ludovico Pozzoserrato, also known as Lodewyck Toeput (1550-1603).