Antoine Watteau, Follower Of "belle, The Spinner With Her Book"

Antoine Watteau, follower of. Oil on canvas, "Belle, the Spinner with a Book," unsigned. 40.8 x 32.5 cm. French School. Jean Antoine Watteau (1684-1721), whom you surely know and hardly need to introduce, created a work, "The Spinner," which inspired the painter of our painting. Here, the landscape surrounding the spinner is less open than in Watteau's painting, but, above all, a small detail gives another dimension to our work: the depiction of a book that the young woman has thrown to the ground. Indeed, it is worth noting that in our painting, Belle holds a very fine thread attached to a spindle that hangs down towards the book, thus linking manual labor to intellectual pursuits. Belle seems to be lost in reverie inspired by her reading, giving this scene a virtuous and cultured femininity. The pastoral ideal of the Enlightenment is perfectly encapsulated here. Moreover, could our painting not have been commissioned by someone who wished to symbolize, through the gift of books, the education of their own daughter, or to pay homage to the literature of their time? Modern carved and gilded wooden frame. Good condition. 3400 euros.