About the Artist

Pietro Longhi (1702 Venice-1785 Venice) was a genre and portrait painter of Venetian Rococo. The son of a goldsmith, Longhi received his early training from Antonio Balestra. In 1719 he went to Bologna in order to work with Giuseppe Maria Crespi, who inspired him to an intensive study of nature and genre themes. In 1730, Longhi returned to Venice, where he became a member of the Academy in 1756. Longhi is known for his small format paintings of manners, along with portraits, religious images and history paintings. Under the influence of Antoine Watteau and his followers, Longhi depicted scenes from the private and public lives of the Venetian nobility. His gentle manner of portrayal and fine, sharp humor conceal the melancholy of the "city on the lagoon," conscius of its decline. Some of the artist's works include The Tooth-Puller, c. 1746-1752, Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan; The Concert, 1741, Galleria Dell' Accademia, Venice and Portrait of Francesco Guardi 1764, Ca' Rezzonnico, Venice.