Bartolomeo Pinelli was a “true Roman”, born in Trastevere the area in Rome of which tourists had the romantic impression that this was where they could experience an environment and a population that still had something of the true, genuine Roman character and consequently resembled the ancient Romans more than people in the rest of Rome. Pinelli was always ready to draw an event or a type, and the speed with which he drew was widely known – within a few seconds he could capture a typical scene. He lived a free life with visitors to Rome looking on gratefully and he drew his fellow citizens making merry and dancing or exposed to dramatic or violent situations. In this drawing, Pinelli has produced a picture of a remarkable procession. This is a carnival procession in honour of the “pimp” or “lecher” of Naples, whose lechery is portrayed quite openly. A single woman in the procession is revealing herself to the men, all of whom are wearing “Phrygian bonnets”. During the French Revolution, this bonnet was a symbol of freedom. Whether in this case it is to be seen as a symbol of sexual liberation must remain a question.
