Wide view of Venice: Piazza San Marco - Riva degli Schiavoni

Pantalone in Taverna

Drinking and dancing the real Carnival life

A masked Pantalone, the old guy with his slippers, is participating to some Carnival fun in a tavern.

Dances and music have always had an important role in the Carnival of Venice, as much as in all other carnivals around Europe. And for the lower classes too.

Pantalone seems a little bit out of place, in this regular folks tavern, being he and his masked lady partner the only ones in disguise, but everybody seems to be having a good time anyway.

Engraving by Anonymous artist: "Scena di Taverna" - 17th century - Civica Raccolta delle Stampe Bertarelli
Otto van Veen (Otto Vaenius):
"People engaged in pleasures (dancing, drinking, gaming, flirting)
to counteract the pains of illness and old age)"
line engraving - 17th century
"Civica Raccolta delle Stampe Bertarelli, Milano"

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