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). The depiction of an artist at work (RCIN 402533) 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. If they are two pairs then this belongs with RCIN 402533 as the artist and his model. For this work feels like a celebration of a village beauty at her coming-of-age, dressed in traditional costume, with a posie on her breast, serenaded by a lute-player and surrounded by bunches of ripe grapes. She looks straight out of the picture in front of a barrel presumably full of wine; her musical admirer is accompanied by a dog, perhaps to suggest his fidelity. In the shadows to the right three young men play cards.