Thomas Couture

Using his paintings as a vehicle for satirical commentary, Couture produced a series featuring Pierrot and Harlequin, stock characters from the commedia dellʼarte, a popular theatrical form with origins in Italy. Here, the downcast Pierrot is on trial for having stolen wine and game (at center) from the innkeeper and chef (at left). As Pierrotʼs lawyer, Harlequin advocates passionately on his clientʼs behalf, unwittingly leaning forward to reveal the blunt cudgel he has stashed beneath his robes as the last resort for a closing argument. The courtroom farce finds the judges slumbering through the legal arguments.