Nicolas Delerive (c. 1755-1818)

Oil on wood panel, c. 1801

Inv. 642-1

These two small paintings (1 and 2) depict scenes of Lisbon life and a variety of trades and customs, such as the locksmith, the water carrier, the blacksmith, the baker, the cabinetmaker, the chestnut roaster, the wheelwright, the knife grinder, the bottle seller (?), the ‘mondo nuovi’ trader, the blind beggar, the brothel, and the collection for the prisoners’ soup.

Far from being mere passing descriptions as in other cases, the brothel scenes (one of them also known as a tavern scene) present a critical description of the society and customs of the time insofar as they both prominently portray friars lasciviously dancing, kissing, getting drunk and gambling.