Mauro Antonio Tesi (Montalbano, 1730 - 1766, Bologna)
Performance for the Grand Duke and Duchess of Russia in Venice, about 1782
Hand-colored engraving, 55 x 71.4 cm (21 5/8 x 28 1/8 in.)
This horizontally-aligned hand-colored engraving depicts a complex, busy scene. Here, a theatrical performance is being mounted for the Grand Duke and Duchess of Russia. Over one hundred light-skinned human figures pack the scene; they wear formal eighteenth-century clothing, mostly in shades of blue, yellow, and red. The figures, both male and female, wear white powdered wigs. For the most part, these spectators are on the sides and very rear of the composition, sitting in tiers of seating and spectator boxes. A wide staircase connects two different stages. The floor and staircase are made out of a beige stone. Ten gold chandeliers hang on long chains from the high ceiling.
Vatichino
Commentary
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