My timing is so off. How did I manage to be virtually snowbound with a house full of wacky characters from the Commedia dell'Arte? Featured this month – at his own connivance – is one of the Commedia's Big Four characters, Pantalon (with or without the final -e).
Pantalone, as he was called, was a greedy, lecherous, scheming old man who often ended up being duped and humiliated… With little else to occupy his thoughts after a life as a tradesman or merchant, Pantalone is the metaphorical representation of money in the commedia world…, the intent for Pantalone was to ensure that he had the status that allowed him to meddle in the affairs of others.
Not at all a Mr. Nice Guy – but even so, he attracted Rembrandt's notice with this drawing.
Switching from the classy heights of Rembrandt, you can read here about the name "Pantalon" itself. Yes, the word "pantaloon" is a derivative – as is a contemporary British expression like today's title: "This is just pants!" means – it's totally ridiculous.
Thinking of my neighbours as models, I'd planned to match Pantalone with this Nice Young Man (who I've masked in Vancouver pandemic style vs. Commedia style). An I.T. guy in a Provincial department, he's married to a fabric artist and is the loving dad of this little pug. (We once had two pugs on the block; now sadly, there's only one). In any case, I thought Young Man could definitely handle Pantalon's typical red tights.
But how to paint him? Pulcinella's link with Naples gave me the cue to look for a city connected with Pantalon. Venice!! Omigosh, yes – historically, the wealthy mercantile centre of East-West trade across the Mediterranean. Famously, the big civic feast here is not workingman's pizza but plenty of oysters and other seafood.
And then: Head-smack, as friend A would say. (Have I been doing that a lot lately?) Of course! Venice is known for Carnival.
I've tried to minimize mask visuals since I have a few friends who really do not like them. But Pantalon was not so circumspect. Once among his familiars, he let loose – leading me a merry chase through those medieval streets and canals – until I pinned him down in the perfect place – the Teatro Italia.
I was utterly enchanted with the juxtaposition of this Commedia bad boy with a classic theatre – until I read further. No -- beautiful as it is, it's scarcely an oldie at all, having been built in 1915 and having gone through several incarnations as Not-a-Theatre-At-All.
Despite its gorgeous Art Nouveau decorations, it was going to wrack and ruin -- before being reclaimed and renovated by the huge Italian grocery chain, "Despar." That suggests "desperate", doesn't it? But take a look:
Hmmm. Better than abandonment, I guess – here's a video to help you judge for yourself. And what better environment for our scheming merchant Pantalon?
Okay – rather than focusing on those red tights, I decided on a close-up – partly modeled on Young Man with Pug and partly on Harold Weston's self-portrait, which I copied for my summertime "Empty Frame" series.
Here's the final of "Pantalon Checks the Competition (copyright 2024)". Here he is, outside the Teatro Italia, clocking in with that indispensable tool of the modern-day businessman – his cell phone.
Closer to home, in this frigidly cold snowy week, the morning's footprints show that another band of masked revelers is twirling their ringed tails in the dark of night. Totally pants!!
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