French School After Watteau, Characters From The Commedia Dell'arte, Oil On Panel, 19th Century

French School, "Under a Mezzetin Costume," oil on panel, 19th century. This composition is based on Watteau's (1684-1721) painting in the Wallace Collection, London (c. 1717-19), which depicts characters from the Commedia dell'arte in a melancholic atmosphere characteristic of the Valenciennes painter, the true inventor of the "fêtes galantes." An old fragment of a sales catalog, annotated and attached to the back of the work, links the painting to a work by Philippe Mercier (1689-1760) sold at the Hôtel Drouot in 1934. This attribution is clearly erroneous. In the original composition, Antoine Watteau depicts "under the Mezzetin costume" Pierre Sirois, an art dealer who was also his friend, alongside his daughters and unidentified family members. This Mezzetin figure was created by Angelo Costantini (c. 1654-1729) to distinguish himself from the famous Harlequin. We note significant and sometimes clumsy restorations to the frame. The paint layer is in good overall condition. Overall dimensions: 47 x 38 cm. Visible dimensions: 30 x 23 cm.