Lot 317: CHARLES-FELIX GIR (1883-1941)Arlequinade.

CHARLES-FELIX GIR (1883-1941)
Arlequinade.
Provenance: Brooklyn Institute of Arts and SciencesThe primary positive aspect of Arlecchino was his physical agility, a very nimble and agile, an entertaining trait that certainly helped him to become the most popular of the zanni, or comic servant characters, in commedia dell'arte. While generally depicted as stupid and gluttonous, Gir's gleefully-patched harlequin has himself under control in this pas de deux from a "ballet-arlequinade," paired, naturally, with his primary love interest, the coy Columbina. On a historical note, it should be noted that this painting was donated in 1925 to the Brooklyn Museum by Frank Lusk Babbott (1854-1933), a multimillionaire jute merchant, art collector and patron. He was a trustee of various organizations, including the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, and served as vice-president of the New York Board of Education from 1902 to 1904.

14 3/4 x 18 in./37.4 x 45.8 cm

Oil painting on cloth on board. Framed.