English school; end of the 18th century- beginning of the 19th century.

English school; end of the 18th century- beginning of the 19th century.
"The quarrel".
Oil on metal plate.
Measurements: 62 x 130 cm.
The scene is articulated in a theatrical progression towards the right, with figures that react to the central conflict by means of exacerbated expressions, wide gestures and forced postures, typical resources of the English tradition of the painting of conversation and of the visual satire. There is a clear dramatic impulse: an older man, with an energetic gesture, points at or berates a younger individual next to him, while a woman in the background looks on with a mixture of bewilderment and dejection. The almost choreographic gestures are reminiscent of the strategies Hogarth would develop in his moral subjects, where each character embodies a narrative role and social type, and where interpersonal conflict serves as a vehicle for a broader critique of contemporary mores.
The anonymous painter of this work demonstrates a keen interest in psychological characterization, visible in the variety of facial expressions: surprise, suspicion, haughtiness, disapproval. The lighting, relatively uniform, avoids tenebrist hallmarks and opts for a descriptive approach that highlights the satire implicit in the details: the cards scattered on the floor, the fallen hat, the open bottle and the exaggerated manners of some of the characters. This anecdotal and meticulous treatment is consistent with the English tradition that, towards the end of the 17th century, began to incorporate elements of social observation, a line that Hogarth would turn into a fully consolidated language.
The pictorial style is characterized by a clean drawing, marked contours and intense but controlled colors, with special attention to the costumes, whose fabrics function as indicators of status and, at the same time, of theatricality.