A Tale from the Decameron, by John William Waterhouse, 1916

A Tale from the Decameron, by John William Waterhouse, 1916.

In this painting pre-Raphaelite painter John William Waterhouse depicts a scene from the frame story of Boccaccio's Decameron. Waterhouse picks up not only on the performative prowess of the young storytellers but also on their high cultural aspirations, as reflected in their attire and the presence of musical instruments. The opulence of their clothing and surroundings also bespeaks the aristocratic values that the emerging Florentine merchant class desired to emulate.