Blind Man's Bluff, A Village Dance

Two oil paintings on canvas, a pair depicting lively, architecturally structured landscapes filled with festive scenes. (Giltwood frames added and attached to the canvas stretchers) Anonymous work, 18th century. Height: 66.5 cm / 67 cm Width: 115.5 cm / 115.5 cm (The "Blind Man's Bluff" scene is in good condition / some retouching on the "village dance") Provenance: These two canvases decorated the wood paneling of a house near Toulouse, where they were placed above doorways. In the game of Blind Man's Bluff, the hunted circle around the blindfolded hunter, without straying too far but avoiding being touched. If the hunter manages to catch a player and recognizes them by touching their face, the discovered person then takes their place. It's best to play in an open space to avoid getting hurt... If there were any obstacles, in the 18th century, the phrase "beware of the black pot" or "beware of the grease pot" would be used. The name of this game is said to come from Jean Colin-Maillard, a warrior from Huy who fought the Count of Louvain in the 10th century and had his eyes gouged out during a battle. He nevertheless resumed fighting, striking randomly all around him with his mallet, his favorite weapon. The name of the game might also originate from the word "mail," the mallet with which the warrior tried to strike his opponents. (Source: Wikipedia, "Colin-maillard")