Dance of Italian Villagers
by RUBENS, Peter Paul, Oil on wood, 73 x 106 cm
This scene is set, like the Flemish Kermis, against a timeless natural background. In this painting Rubens transposes the bucolic spirit of contemporary mythological compositions into the ambiance of popular genre subject matter. Several of the figures are dressed “all’ antica” and Bacchus himself is dancing in a landscape which with its Italianate architectural elements creates a distinctly Arcadian impression.
Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 4 minutes):
Gioacchino Rossini: La Danza