Giacomo Francesco Cipper, also known as 'Il Todeschini' (literally 'the little German'), was born in Feldkirch, Western Austria, but spent most of his career in Northern Italy. Cipper's work is characterised by his grinning figures and focus on scenes of everyday life. The idea of presenting poor and marginal figures life size, in a partly sympathetic, partly comic and grotesque fashion, was pioneered by Velazquez and made popular throughout Europe by Murillo (two of whose famous urchin scenes in the Alte Pinakothek at Munich were acquired in 1698 by the Elector Maximilian II Emanuel).

This is one of a set of four paintings by Cipper, of identical dimensions and matching frames, first recorded at Kensington Palace in 1790 (RCIN 402530, 402533, 402535 & 402539). One of the four is signed and dated 1736, the year of the artist's death. The theme of the four would seem to be the disorderly rough and tumble of daily life, especially where children are involved. This scene and RCIN 402535 have something of the feel of the Dutch saying 'as the old sing, so pipe the young', made famous by Jan Steen and meaning that children copy the vices of their parents. The woman to the right plays a hurdy-gurdy accompanied by the young girl in the centre who plays a hammered dulcimer; a scholarly-looking man in black cloak and hat is offered a drink, while a younger man holds up a pot in the background; a child is trying some cherries in the foreground. The two birds - a dove and an owl - may suggest innocence and folly.