Peasants dancing in front of the tavern - 18th Century, Italian painting

Piedmontese school of the mid-eighteenth century, Peasants dancing in front of the tavern, oil on canvas

The painting, made in oil on canvas, depicts a moment of celebration where some peasants or commoners dance and drink in front of an inn. Stylistically the work has strong proximity to the paintings of the painters of "bambocciate" Piedmontese (Italy), characteristics of the eighteenth century. Among these, there are significant references to the works of David Teniers and to the painting of Giovanni Michele Graneri, a pupil of Pietro Domenico Ollivero, the most important and famous painter of genre scenes in Turin.
The characters depicted, such as the group of dancers in a circle, the old man with the stick, the bassoon player, the drunken peasant who sleeps on the barrel and some observers who look out from the doors, windows or balconies, are characteristic of this kind of representation which is called "bambocciata".
Bambocciata is a kind of painting intended to represent, with figurative vivacity and with animated light and color effects, popular street scenes, taverns, market, gypsies, in open contrast with the great official baroque painting. It spread widely throughout the eighteenth century and in Piedmont (Italy), among the most important exponents are Pietro Domenico Ollivero (Turin, 1679 - 1755) and Giovanni Michele Graneri (Turin, 1708-1762).
The concave shape at the bottom of the frame suggests that the canvas was originally placed in a boiserie in the courtly rooms of a noble palace. Very decorative, characterized by a fun and pleasant subject, can now be placed in any environment, suitable for salons, studios, entrances, but also kitchens and rooms. Due to its particular shape, it is particularly suitable to be presented over a console or a chest of drawers, both modern and ancient.
Historical and artistic studies are currently underway to identify the hand of the painter.
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