Countryside Scenes with Horses and Card Players, Rome circa 1740

Pair of Paintings: Countryside Halt with Horses & Card Game in the Countryside
Paolo Monaldi (post 1710 - post 1779), entourage
Rome, circa 1740
Oil on canvas

Measurements (each):
Unframed: 45 x 31 cm
Framed: 61 x 48 cm

These two mid-18th-century paintings depict scenes of daily life in the Roman countryside, focusing on characters living at the margins of society. Attributed to the circle of Paolo Monaldi and tied to the Bamboccianti tradition—shaped by the influence of Pieter van Laer (Haarlem, 1599 – Rome, 1642)—they offer a naturalistic, rather than idealized, vision. The figures, visibly poor and in tattered clothing, appear as “pezzenti,” with worn garments and humble postures. Their world is not romanticized but presented with a frankness that acknowledges their precarious reality.

Based on Simone Andreoni’s published commentary (Pontedera, 2022), the painter seems to take genuine delight in portraying the authenticity of these conditions. In dialogue with the legacy of Michelangelo Cerquozzi, Monaldi and his circle depict these rural characters as they are, without moralizing or sentimentality. The horses, with faces bearing a subtle human-like expressiveness, become silent observers, emphasizing the unembellished, direct vision that defines these works.

These paintings were published in the catalog accompanying the exhibition “Miti, eroine e ribelli tra Caravaggio, Artemisia Gentileschi e Tamara de Lempicka”, curated by Pierluigi Carofano (Pontedera, 2022). The exhibition, held at the Convitto delle Arti – Noto Museum, explored themes of rebellion and identity through diverse historical and artistic narratives. An article by Simone Andreoni in the catalog situates these works in the artistic and cultural context of 18th-century Rome.

Both canvases are in very good condition, retaining their original colors and details. They are presented in carved and gilded 20th-century wooden frames, which complement the period style without being contemporary to the paintings.

Provenance: Private European collection
Publication: Pontedera, 2022, catalog of the exhibition curated by Pierluigi Carofano, article by Simone Andreoni.