Pietro Longhi, 'A Lady receiving a Cavalier', 1745-55

Pietro Longhi has combined an image of gallantry with a glimpse of domestic life – two maids at the left work at an embroidery frame. The elegantly dressed lady of the house welcomes a dashing gentleman, who is the cavalier of the painting’s title. He places his hand on his heart as he bows from the waist, and the lady lightly fans herself and holds a white handkerchief in the other hand. The two lean towards each other, their heads held close together so that their conversation remains private.

The scene has all the charm of the contemporary opera buffa – a comic performance, usually in Italian, with characters from everyday life – that was beloved in Venice. Longhi made preparatory drawings for many of his figures; one showing the two women in this painting survives in the Museo Correr, Venice.

A painting hanging on the wall behind shows Diana, the chaste goddess of hunting, partially covered with drapery; her quiver of arrows hangs on a tree and her bow lies on the ground. She is surrounded by cupids who decorate a nude sculpture, possibly of the garden god Pan, who is often associated with sexuality. The figure of Diana could allude to the chastity of the woman in the foreground, and Pan to the amorous intentions of her companion. The background is fairly muted, but Longhi has included flashes of colour in the clothing and decorative details, like the lady’s pink floral brooch and the gold embroidered edges of the man’s jacket.

The artist was best known for his simple interior scenes, many of which show the private lives of the wealthy, such as A Nobleman kissing a Lady’s Hand and An Interior with Three Women and a Seated Man.