Pullichinello and Lucretia

Pullichinello and Lucretia from De Clermont's 1742 series pairs the famous Neapolitan hunchback character — ancestor of Punch in the English puppet tradition — with Lucretia, one of the commedia's female character types. Pulcinella was among the most widely recognized figures in European popular culture by the eighteenth century, having traveled from Neapolitan street theater to the courts of Europe and the puppet stages of England. The pairing with Lucretia — whose name echoes the Roman heroine of chastity — creates an ironically incongruous couple that would have amused sophisticated viewers familiar with both the theatrical tradition and its classical allusions.

The contrasting characters are depicted with De Clermont's decorative precision — Pulcinella in his characteristic white with pointed hat, Lucretia in more refined dress. The flat, ornamental treatment and clear outlines maintain visual consistency with the other panels in the Lansdowne House series.