Wine Jest

Volterrano (Baldassare Franceschini)

about 1640

Red chalk and brush with red wash; squared in red chalk for transfer, Chalk, Brush, Wash

J. Paul Getty Museum

A group of men are gathered around a table, some seated and some standing, in what appears to be an outdoor setting with architectural elements. One man on the right is pouring liquid from a jug into a vessel on the table. Volterrano depicts the priest and notorious prankster Arlotto Mainardi (1396-1488) performing a trick on his companions. They gather around a rustic table under a shady portico, with a sunlit villa in the background. Having been sent to the cellar to draw wine for the meal, Arlotto, anticipating that his share of food would be consumed while he is gone, leaves the barrel spigot open so that wine continues to gush to the floor. On his return, the prankster's upraised fist and playfully severe facial expression elicit varied reactions from the men at the table. Elaborately worked and squared so that it could be copied on to a canvas,