Pietro Longhi was the painter who, more than any other and with remarkable consistency, succeeded in portraying the society of eighteenth-century Venice: through his famous Dancing Lesson, he introduces us to a fundamental aspect of the education of young Venetian ladies. The work is part of a series of six canvases that we can imagine being dedicated to the daily activities of the Venetian lady: the others are The Little Concert, The Tailor, The Toilette, The Fortune Teller, and The Pharmacist, all of identical dimensions and stylistically homogeneous.
The scene is set inside a small sitting room with rather sparse furnishings: a sofa upholstered in green satin, wall coverings of the same colour, a heavy velvet curtain on the right, a couple of chairs below, and a mirror on the wall; here, a young woman is receiving a private dance lesson from her master, while a violinist, standing slightly apart, provides the rhythm, and the girl's mother watches the scene while seated on a chair; on a stool, the master has placed his tricorne hat (the typical three-cornered Venetian hat) and his small sword.
The Venetian painter observes the pure everyday intimacy of the society of his time with lucid precision and without emotional involvement, in accordance with an Enlightenment and scientific attitude. This interpretation, marked by great expressive simplicity, is nonetheless extraordinarily evocative.
This artwork by Pietro Longhi, is a fine example of both art at its peak and projection of a mirror by an artist to his contemporaries society. As a piece of of painting, Longhi's work exudes the artistic excellence of Renaissance Italy, and particularly its centre-Venice. This is evident in the fine finishing, three dimensional effect, the use of light and shade and use of solid, vibrant colours. However, apart from being artistic mastery, the painting also excels in the depiction of the society it belonged. The picture captures th sweet-bitter contrast in the lifestyle of the upper class Venetian elite, especially women. While the artwork shows the growing acceptance of women being acquainted with soft, domesticated artistic indulgences, the dress, the movements and glimpse of mannerisms in the painting also uncovers the strict societal control and patriarchy beneath the lavish facade of noble class and elegance.
