Vittorio Reggianini was an Italian artist who, like so many of the Florentine artists of the time, specialised in historical genre pieces. Reggianini’s works frequently depict elegant scenes of modern bourgeois life, as exemplified in this painting. The two female subjects are dressed in very elegant clothing surrounded by a highly ornate and luxurious interior.
You are immediately drawn to the artist’s skilful rendering of the fabrics, as seen in the shiny silk and delicate beading. The beautiful, colourful rug and marble wall leading up to the gold wallpaper only heighten the impression of a sumptuous effect to the overall vignette
Reggianini’s paintings would often contain many incidental details, including in this work where you, as the viewer, are interestingly positioned as the person we see in the reflection in the mirror. We are unsure who the sitter is, or indeed what his connection to the party is, yet the expressions of the characters are playful and joyous, though the look on the woman in the green dress creates a sense of intrigue and mystery. The viewer is therefore left wondering what kind of exchanges