Cornelis De Wael (attributed to) - Scene of Folk Life Oil on canvas 37 x 55 cm The painting presents a composition that can be directly traced back to an engraving published in 1640 by Cornelis de Wael, from which it takes the figurative layout, the arrangement of the characters and numerous details of the scene with remarkable accuracy. The group of commoners arranged under the curtain, with the figures seated and conversing around the central nucleus, in fact coincides with the artist's known graphic invention, confirming the very close relationship between engraving and painting production typical of his activity.In fact, it coincides with one of the artist's most typical graphic inventions, constructed in accordance with that taste for the lively representation of popular life that characterises much of his engraving production. The pictorial transposition, however, develops the composition autonomously, amplifying the atmospheric effects through a warm chromatic range and a softer luministic definition. The figures retain the expressive immediacy and lively gestural expressiveness present in the print, but acquire greater volumetric consistency and a more articulated scenic quality. Particularly significant is the rendering of the moving figures, constructed with loose and rapid brushstrokes, and the ability to maintain compositional balance within a deliberately animated and almost farcical scene. The canvas also confirms de Wael's usual working procedure, based on the continuous transition between graphic invention and pictorial translation.The quality of execution of the work, evident in the construction of the figures, the fluidity of the draftsmanship and the stylistic coherence with the artist's established works, allows the painting to be directly attributed to Cornelis de Wael rather than to a simple follower or workshop. Framed.