Pietro Longhi (born Pietro Falca) specialized mainly in pictures of everyday scenes of the rather unstimulating life of 18th century Venice. The way the woman at the centre is posing was inspired by the "louse picking" posture, which was in vogue in those days. While overlapping the image of "picking lice" and this young woman's pose, we cannot help wondering what she is up to and consequently end up glancing in the same manner as the gentlemen in the picture. The maid reproves us for such bad manners. Irrespective of age, sex, or class, Longhi always regarded the humans in a tender manner. Longhi's works show us the 18th century Venetian world in a natural way. (Source: The Digital Gallery. 1999-2006)