Francesco de Mura

Art market, London;

Art market, Suffolk;

Where acquired by the father of the present owner, c. 1965;

Thence by descent.

N. Spinosa, Pittura napoletano del Settecento, Naples 1986, vol. I, p. 165, no. 275, reproduced on p. 357, fig. 332.

This vibrant and atmospheric painting by Francesco de Mura depicts a group of peasants dancing the Tarantella: a spirited jig performed to the accompaniment of tambourines and other instruments. The dance was named after the tarantula spider, which was (incorrectly) believed to cause tarantism: a form of hysteria that was, at one time, endemic to the southern Italian town of Taranto, the cure for which was thought to involve wild dancing. The lively mood is here accentuated by the figures portrayed on the far right of the painting, one of which proffers a wine glass, while the other takes a swig from the bottle.

A handful of copies after the present work are known, which attest not only to the success of the composition, but also to its subsequent popularity. One such example, attributed to the circle of Francesco de Mura, appeared for sale at Blindarte Naples on 16 May 2018, lot 213.¹

We are grateful to Dr Arthur R. Blumenthal for endorsing the attribution to Francesco de Mura on the basis of digital images. Dr Blumenthal dates the work to around 1759.

¹ Oil on canvas, 50 x 96 cm.; Country Dance - Blindarte Auction House - Blindarte Auction House - Online Auctions.