Carnival Scene

In this fanciful party scene, elegantly dressed figures dance, a band at the left foreground plays music and couples embrace in the shadows. By the fire, a man pours drink into broad, shallow wine glass held delicately between two fingers from the base in a display of refinement. Decorating the space are colourful textiles and paintings, including a painting of the Tower of Babel, at right, and the bawdy mythological scene of Vulcan discovering his wife Venus in bed with Mars. In looking closely at this painting, jewel-box-like in its detail and chromatic brilliance, the viewer too joins in on the fun.