Carnival Time in Rome

genre

In picturesque scenes from the street life of Rome and of villages in the Campagna, Jan Miel shows an affinity with the genre scenes of Pieter van Laer who was the actual creator of the 'bambocciata' genre in Rome. About the 1640s onwards he expanded his subject matter, which was originally strictly based on Van Laer's repertoire, with new subjects of his own invention, and with more dramatic settings. Among these are particularly the lively scenes of carnival and masked commedia dell' arte actors, such as the Carnival Time in Rome.

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About the Artist

Jan Miel

1599 – 1663

Flemish painter, born in the vicinity of Antwerp, but he was in Rome by 1636. There he became friendly with Bamboccio, and most of his pictures are scenes of low life - Bambocciate. He did, however, paint frescoes in Roman churches and palaces, such as the Crossing of the Red Sea (1656, Quirinal) and S. Lambert (S.M. dell' Anima; sketch in Cambridge, Fitzwilliam), as well as briefly collaborating with Sacchi (1641-43). He also painted figures for Claude 's landscapes. In 1658 he was made Court Painter at Turin, where he died. There are works in the Royal Collection, Windsor, and in Birmingham, Bologna, Edinburgh, Grenoble, London , Northampton and elsewhere.

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