A great work by the Master of the fertility of the egg set, seemingly, in the workshops of artisan spinners, but which provide the excuse for the journey among crazy acrobats and 'mockers'. Here recurs the Maestro's trademark, the eggs that hatch from which are born new intriguing characters in that little theatre of life in which everyone participates. Particularly evocative is the inscription under the owl with which the Maestro calls himself and everyone an 'owl', a sign of the disenchanted and algid reading of life that characterises this great 17th-century author. The painting is, as always, so rich in characters and images that the observer is forced to look at it portion by portion in order to arrive at its whole in order to understand the complex vision of the Master. Provenance from the Rangoni family collection. Measurements: 114.5 x 150.0 cm (with frame 135.5 x 171.3 cm)