Arlequin geeft zijn kind de borst 1720 - 1728

This anonymous print presents Arlequin Gives His Child the Breast. It probably dates from the 18th century, judging from the style of the engraving and the costumes depicted. We see Harlequin, a stock character from the Commedia dell'arte, nursing a baby, while another character, possibly a doctor, looks on. The Commedia dell'arte was a popular form of improvisational theater that originated in Italy and spread throughout Europe. Its troupes were known for their use of masks, stock characters, and physical comedy. As a form of popular entertainment, Commedia reflected and refracted the social norms of its time, but could also subvert those same norms through satire and parody. Here the artist is commenting on social norms through role reversal, by representing Harlequin as a nursing mother. To understand this work more deeply, we'd want to know where and for whom it was made. Research into the history of Commedia dell'arte in different regions, its changing relationship to state power and the moral concerns of the church might shed light on its meaning.