A potbellied Pulcinella stands before the Bay of Naples, with smoking Vesuvius in the distance and the waters of the gulf stretching behind him. Dressed in his traditional white costume and black mask, he raises a finger as though about to deliver one of the paradoxical truths for which the character is famous. Framed by theatrical curtains, the scene presents Naples itself as a stage upon which Pulcinella—the enduring spirit of the city—plays his eternal role.
