Figure of Pantalone
c. 1755
Medium
soft-paste porcelain with enamel decoration
Dimensions
20 × 7 × 9.9 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Decorative Art and Design
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Rosenberg & Stiebel, Inc.
Accession Number
1948.54
Tags
About this artwork
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.
About the Artist
Mennecy Factory (French)
Georges Hugnet (1906–1974) was a multifaceted French artist, poet, writer, and critic whose innovative collages and graphic works bridged Dada and Surrealism. Born in Paris on July 11, 1906, he spent much of his early childhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, returning to France around 1913. His early life and artistic training remain sparsely documented, with no records of formal art school attendanc...