Commedia dell'arte

In this three-panel composition, a man in a ruffled collar and blue diamond-patterned costume plays a mandolin beside a birdcage and fruit at left, while a man in a red-and-gold diamond costume and pointed cap holds a parrot at right. Between them, a young woman in an elaborate jeweled and beaded gown sits on a blue sphere, one slippered foot extended, surrounded by roses, songbirds and potted trees.

Jewel tones of ruby, sapphire, gold and violet cover every surface in dense, glittering pattern, from the costumes to the floral backdrop, leaving little empty space. The flattened, ornamental treatment and theatrical poses recall commedia dell'arte and stage costume design, giving the whole panel a festive, decorative, storybook quality.