A Feast in an Italian Villa
Sebastian Vrancx
1618-1621
Guests are arriving for a party. In the foreground a gentleman has just dismounted, chivalrously greeting a noble lady. To the right a chamber orchestra plays in front of a fountain crowned by the goddess of love, Venus, accompanied by Cupid. Occupying prominent positions on the ground are a lute and a cornett (a curved wind instrument). Behind the musicians a troupe of actors are making an entrance. In the park a long table has been laid out for a feast in an open pavilion, and a wet nurse is nursing a child on the stairs. Paintings of this kind are known as fête galante motifs.
SMK – National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen · Image: SMK – National Gallery of Denmark, Public domain · Text: SMK – National Gallery of Denmark (text: Eva de la Fuente Pedersen) (adapted), CC0