Pastoral Banquet 18th-century French School Oil On Canvas, Circa 1750

Pastoral Banquet 18th-Century French School Oil on Canvas, Circa 1750

Antoine Watteau, Nicolas Lancret, and Jean-Baptiste Pater embodied the pinnacle of decorative painting in the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly through their renderings of fêtes galantes and pastoral banquets. This oil on canvas, dating from around 1750, exemplifies their artistry: a lively scene of elegant figures set within a natural landscape, encapsulating the grace and sophistication of aristocratic diversions.

Dimensions:

Unframed: height 20.9 in - width 28 in

Framed: height 27.6 in - width 34.6 in

The work remains in good original condition, retaining its original canvas and housed in a carved and gilded wood frame.

Historical Context:

Though the term fête champêtre evokes pastoral simplicity, these gatherings were in fact highly refined affairs. At the Court of Versailles, such garden parties unfolded in elaborately landscaped settings—complete with follies, pavilions, and temples—where guests, occasionally in costume, were serenaded by concealed orchestras. Far from rustic, these events embodied the era’s penchant for elegance and theatricality.