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Figure of Pantalone
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineFigure of Pantalone, c. 1755. Mennecy Factory (French), Mennecy- Villeroy Factory (French). Soft-paste porcelain with enamel decoration; overall: 20 x 7 x 9.9 cm (7 7/8 x 2 3/4 x 3 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Rosenberg & Stiebel, Inc., 1948.54
