Poses, Movement & Dance in late 16th century Commediagoldenstag.net/players/Inamorata.pdf · Poses, Movement & Dance for the Innamorati in late 16th century Commedia Cynthia Barnes,

Poses, Movement & Dance for the Innamorati in late 16th century

Commedia

Cynthia Barnes, Oct 2011

[email protected]

THE YOUNG LOVERS16TH CENTURY DEPICTIONS

Poses, Movement & Dance for the Innamorati in late 16th century Commedia


Carnival in Venice1565, with Dancing & Commedia Characters, Hieronymus Francken, Musee Aix-la-Chapelle

Note: every lover looks at his lady; ladies look all over & sometimes even at their guys.

Details of lovers, dancers from Carnival in Venice, 1565 - Hieronymus Francken

Above left: could be an older pair of lovers like our Dottori & Frauzetta.

Right: Low graceful hands of the dancers & musicians – excellent models for our young

Innamorati.

Innamorati “The Lovers” c1572

Ganassa’s troupe with aristocrats of the Court of Charles IX, c1572, detail –

attributed to Franz Pourbus, Musee Bayeux

Front & center: unknown female character pleads with Pantalone.

Back right: The young Innamorati: he’s ever-attentive with head bowed towards her; natural postures, curved arms;

she’s looking elsewhere.

Innamorati “The Lovers” 1578-90

Commedia dell'Arte, c1578-90, lovers detail - Francois Bunel el Joven, Museo Belles Artes, Beziers

Innamorati: • Passing notes with curved hands, pinkies out, dainty fingers. • Faces turned toward the beloved even as they engage the viewer. • Cant keep his hands off of her.

Oddities: • Green slashings on sleeves?• “Cherries out of season” (the Met Museum monograph posits Commedia as a variety show, sometimes with nudity & burlesque-like performances)

Innamorati “The Lovers” 1577

Innamorati: Notice pose of hands – wrists lead. Arms, neck & body curved & graceful despite corset & lute.Left: Isabella, 1577 Right: Leandro, 1577 - unknown source, Recueil Fossard

Innamorati “The Lovers” c1590s

Troupe of Italian Comedians,

c1590s - anon French artist, Musee Beaux

Artes, Beziers, France

Innamorati: They’re in their own little world; nothing exists outside of it.

Innamorati “The Lovers” c1580s-90s

Innamorati: He’s focused solely on her as he plays the lute & leans toward her; she’s aware of other action on the stage & indicates gracefully.

Commedia Scene with Leandro, Lilia , Pantalone & Zany, c1590s - Madrid, Patrimonio Nacional

As we can see her pocket, this tells me that she’s in a level of undress having removed her gown. What ‘s revealed is her petticoat & bodice.

Innamorata “Passing notes” 1590

Innamorata: curved lines, hip shot forward –this is a brazen moment as she interacts with Arlequin.

The maid servant is angular & almost awkward by compare.

Arlequin Disfrazado with Lilia & Lucia, a maidservant, hand in pocket, 1590 –unknown artist, Madrid, Collecion Kyrle Fletcher copy

Innamorata “Passing notes” 1590

Same scene with Arliquin & Lilia, in a different rendering.

Arlequin Disfrazado hand in pocket, 1590 – unknownartist, Madrid, Patrimonio Nacional copy

The Rich Man at the Table and Lazarus at the Door w commedia & feast, 1606 - Sebastian Vrancx, NYPL

Innamorati “The Lovers”

1606

Above: The Rich Man at the Table and Lazarus at the Door, 1606, commedia detail of the lovers – an engraving after Sebastian Vrancx, NYPL

Innamorati: note his leg, pointed toe & graceful leg.Cant keep his hands off of her. She’s is more restrained , yet offers him hope of success.

BTW, the parrot nearby is a symbol of physical love.

Ladies vs Pantalone

Left: Woman with whip? Tragicomédie cover, c1600 -Aquarelle anonyme, Biblioteca Orsiniana, Rome

Right: Pantalone leaves for battle, woman at window withhankie, fresco, end 16th c - Alessandro Scalzi, Castello diTrausnitz, Barvaria

FOOLISH OLD MEN AND LUST16TH CENTURY DEPICTIONS



Innamorati “Old Men in Love”

1570-80

Commedia troupe Gelosi, 1570-80 –anonymous probably Flemish, Musée Carnavalet

Innamorata: a demure response to Pantalone, her face is turned, but her eyes look toward him. She carries a fan or gloves.

Right: A crazy moment at the Bagpipe Inn, unknown date,

but may be 1570s 80s –unknown French engraver,

Recueil Fossard

Innamorata:• Notice pose of her hand (with a wrist lead) as she repulses a zanni, yet her body leans in adding energy to the interaction. • Arms curved & graceful even as she’s carried by Pantaion (sic) and Zaxy (sic).• She carries a flower, another key prop for the innamorata.

In contrast , Nodet & Tifita (Tiffia?), the taverner & wife are solid & vertical.

Nb. The rabbit, bottom center, is a symbol of lust.

Innamorata “Old Men & Love”

Left: Francesquina (a malicious servant) tempts the miser.Above: Innamorata: “come here/go away”, she leans away from his amorous advances, yet leans in. Skepticism, perhaps?

Left: Pantalone dances with Francesquina (a malicious servant), detail, late 16th c - unknown artist, Recueil FossardAbove: Commedia innamorata & Pantelone, detail of female lover unknown date, artist or source – from larsdatter archive


Pantalone or another hunched-back character dances with a fashionable woman (unknown innamorata character) who’s holding a hankie. A musician plays for them.

Above: Commedia Scena di Danza - Palazzo Berla, Mantova


Innamorata: “come here, big guy” she coyly tempts Pantalone (usually to gain from his money, provide a distraction or make him a fool). Note bent wrist as she trails the hankie almost as bait.

Above: bottom register of Commedia scenes wall fresco - Antonio Ponzano, Castello di TrausnitzLeft: redrawn & reversed

Innamorata “Old Men & Love” Innamorata: the

sensible? guileful? older Innamorata moves with some dignity lead by foolish Pantalone. Note the more angular elbow as she hoists skirts & treads purposely.The hankie is a signature prop.

Commedia sketch, unknown date - after Ambrogio Brambilla, Recueil Fossard, Copenhagen

Innamorati “The Lovers” late 16th century

Notice graceful wrists & hands on both

lovers. Notice her bent wrists as she gives

Pantalone the glasses.

Nb. She’s dressed. if you can call it that,

only in veils. Burlesque or just the artist’s

preference ?

Right: Femme Entre Deux Ages, late 16th c – unknownFrench artist, Musee Rennes

Innamorati “Old Men & Love”

The young lovers get some face time while Pantalonedoes something foolish & his pants fall down (or rather they defy gravity & fall up).

Unusually, the lady is enchanted with her young man.

Street actors cropped - GiacomoFranco

Innamorati “Old Men & Love” early 17th c

Notice graceful wrists & hands as the gypsy(?) ladies distract & rob a lascivious character.

Commedia dell’Arte scene, said to be early 17th c -unknown Flemish master, unknown source.

17TH CENTURY DEPICTIONS OF THE LOVERS



Innamorati “The Lovers” 1620s

Above: a woman, 1622 - Jacques Callot, probably from Balli di Sfessania

Above: Riciulina detail, c1622 - Jacques Callot, Balli di Sfessania

Left: a high status woman with solid stance & quiet hands shows her to be a woman of substance or sense. She’s “grounded”.

Right: our flighty Innamorata, all

fluttery hands, tippy-toes, feathers, ribbons

& bows shows her “light-mindedness”.

Banquet in the countryside, commedia and feast, 1620 - Sebastiaan Vrancx, Szepmüveszeti Museum

Innamorati “The Lovers” c1620

Counter-balanced posesAbove: lovers detail from Banquet in the countryside, Innamorati detail, 1620 - Sebastiaan Vrancx, Szepmüveszeti Museum

Notice graceful wrists & hands

on all of the lovers.

Florinda carries a fan.Right: Florinda(lovers), 1618 -Lichomezi featherbook


Notice graceful wrists & hands on both lovers.

Right: Amoureaux (lovers), 1618 - Lichomezi featherbook

Looking further, is this Flavia a male character in drag for some twisty plot

reason? The chin shadow, cropped shaggy hair, big hands, vertical stance make me

wonder. Still, she has her hankie.


Left: Leander Right:

Schapin & Spineta(lovers), 1618 -

Lichomezi featherbook

Compare the lady above right with the previous one. They’re both by the same artist.

Look a the body twist on the young man at left.


Let’s take a bow.

Left: Lovers, taking bows, 1618 - Lichomezi featherbook, McGill University

BibliographyEarly Paintings of the Commedia dell’Arte in France, Charles Sterling, monograph, Met

Museum NYC, JSTOR.The Art of Commedia: a study in the Commedia dell'Arte 1560-1620 with Special Reference to

the Visual record, M. A. Katritzky, Google Ebooks.Website of the Recueil Fossard, Stockholm.www.shane-arts.com/Commedia-Innamorati.htm

The paintings, illustrations & graphics Works listed in date order. Artist’s name or title of work given along with current location, if known.

Carnival in Venice with Dancing & Commedia, 1565 – Hieronymus Francken, Musee Aix-la-Chapelle

Ganassa’s troupe w aristocrats of the Court of Charles IX, c 1571, pre-1579 – Frans Pourbus, Musee Bayeux

Commedia dell'Arte, c1578-90 – Francois Bunel el Joven, Museo Belles Artes BeziersCommedia troupe Gelosi, 1570-80 - Musée CarnavaletFemme Entre Deux Ages, late 16th c – unknown artist, Musee RennesArlequin Disfrazado, 1590 – unknown artist, Madrid, Patrimonio Nacional copyArlequin Disfrazado, 1590 – unknown artist, Madrid, Collecion Kyrle Fletcher copy

The paintings, illustrations & graphics Works listed in date order . Artist’s name or title of work given along with current location, if known.

Tragicomédie cover, Aquarelle anonyme, c1600 - anon, Biblioteca Orsiniana, Rome

The Rich Man at the Table and Lazarus at the Door , 1606 - Sebastian Vrancx, NYPL

Commedia Scena di danza (fresco) – Palazzo Berla, Mantova

Commedia scenes fresco – Antonio Ponzano, Castello di Trausnitz, Bavaria

Serenata di Pantalone e Zanni fresco, late 16th c – Alessandro Scalzi, Castello di Trausnitz

Commedia Sérénade de Pantalon, late 16th – anon, Drottingholms Teatermuseum

Commedia dell’Arte scene, early 17th c – unknown Flemish master

Léandre, Florinda, Mario & Flavia, Scapino & Spineta et al, 1618 – various illustrations from the Lichomezi featherbook, McGill University

Banquet in the countryside, c1620s – Sebastiaan Vrancx, Szepmüveszeti Museum

See also: Lodewyck Toeput, called Lodovico Pozzoserrato, collection of Count Karatsonyi in Budapest

See also: Theodore de Vries, Giacomo Franco

Carnival Scene commedia dell' Arte mingle with party guests

Documents

Poses, Movement & Dance in late 16th century Commediagoldenstag.net/players/Inamorata.pdf · Poses, Movement & Dance for the Innamorati in late 16th century Commedia Cynthia Barnes,