Master Of Reflection, Second Half Of The 18th Century, Genre Scene 

Master of reflection, Second half of the 18th century

Genre scene 

Oil on canvas, cm 44 x 74

Expert opinion Prof. Giancarlo Sestieri

The work in question depicts a Scene of Venetian life, set in a living room with a sofa in the background and on the right an old attendant who entices a brazier, next to which a little girl sits; on the left is instead represented the episode on which it pivots: an elegantly dressed lady, who puts her forefinger on her mouth, to request silence, subtracts a letter or sheet from the crossed leg of a gentleman -surely a nobleman judging by his refined clothing- that sitting in an armchair with his right elbow leaning against a console and his left hand tucked into his waistcoat, he dozed off, perhaps distracted by the lady watching him from behind. The episode is perfectly in line with the variegated vision of Venetian life, focused mainly in the upper aristocratic spheres, but also open to popular scenes.

The painting is clearly attributed to the narrow scope of Pietro Longhi (Venice, 1702 or 1704 - 1785), although marked on the stylistic and interpretative level, compared to the Venetian Master, by a greater figurative clarification and more subtle chromatic passages, but to be considered coeval to his work, or immediately following. It is for this reason that the work can consistently assign itself to the anonymous direct follower - not to be excluded even his own collaborator- of Peter, called "Master of reflexes", as it is closely linked, for his figurative imprint and taste for representing, some paintings placed under this name, and more particularly the Declaration of the Lady, of the Banco Ambrosiano Veneto, painted in pairs with the Rhinoceros on display, which is an inverted version of those of Pietro Longhi. 
The Master of Reflections specialized and followed the genre and costume paintings with scenes of Venetian life, which made him famous from the middle of the century. In these paintings, much appreciated by the aristocracy and intellectuals of the time, captivating episodes of low or high Venetian society, immersed in his daily life were recounted, responding in full to the Enlightenment desire to investigate reality and to propose a timely chronicle of the social custom of the time. The name "Master of reflexes" was coined on the basis of its changing use in shades, indeed not always detectable in the works of the followers of Longhi, characterized by different typological and stylistic peculiarities, as well as pictorial, so much so that they have distinguished themselves with different appellations, such as the "Master of the reduced" and the "Teacher thin". 

The object is in good condition

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