Pietro Longhi, 'An Interior with Three Women and a Seated Man', probably 1750-5

Pietro Longhi is best known for his small-scale paintings that give a glimpse inside the houses of middle-class Venetians and show people engaging in the activities of polite society. We don't know what this painting depicts, though it might be a scene from a play. In an elegant room, a servant hands a plate of food and a spoon to a man. Standing nearby are two young women dressed in beautiful gowns, who hold hands and stare out of the painting. One of them points towards the seated man.

Prominently displayed on the wall behind is a engraved portrait by Andrea Zucchi of Gerardo Sagredo, who was elected Procurator of San Marco in 1718 (the most prestigious office in the Republic of Venice after that of Doge). The scene could be set in the Palazzo ​Sagredo, Gerardo’s family home, and could show an act of charity towards an old man in need of a meal. Gerardo Sagredo had two daughters, Caterina and Mariana, who may be the young women depicted here.