Figure of Pantalone
Mennecy Factory
1745–1765
- Medium
- soft-paste porcelain with enamel decoration
- Dimensions
- Overall: 20 x 7 x 9.9 cm (7 7/8 x 2 3/4 x 3 7/8 in.)
- Genre
- Ceramics
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art
Tags
France, Mennecy, 18th century
About
The commedia dell’arte, a form of Italian improvisational theater, became widely popular in 18th-century Europe. This figure, with his prominent beard and distinguishing black robe, represents the character of elderly Venetian merchant Pantalone. Depicted in paintings and porcelain, the popularity of these figures demonstrated the influence of the theater on the tastes of the wealthy.
