Annibale Carracci's “Scherzo”: The Christ ChurchButcher Shop

Abstract

Recent studies have pointed out some of the comic elements that exist in late sixteenth-century genre painting.1 These paintings often have burlesque qualities coupled with actual references to the costumes, plot, and characters of the Commedia dell'Arte.2 Annibale Carracci's Butcher Shop (Fig. 1), like many late cinquecento genre scenes, appears to transcend mere naturalistic portrayal and to have a place within this comic tradition.3