Artwork Page for Declaration of Love

Details / Information for Declaration of Love

Declaration of Love

c. 1720

Nicolas Lancret

(French, 1690–1743)
Culture
France, 18th century
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
Framed: 103 x 90.5 x 9 cm (40 9/16 x 35 5/8 x 3 9/16 in.); Unframed: 80.1 x 64 cm (31 9/16 x 25 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Collection 1944.86
Public Domain
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Location
216B French and German
Print

Description

A category of painting invented in France in the early 1700s is the fête galante (gallant party), with subject matter that hovers between fantasy and reality. The figures in theatrical costume derive from Italian street performers seen in Paris, while the playful outdoor garden party connects to leisure activities enjoyed by certain Parisian elites. The arts of conversation, music, and painting—all highly valued by French aristocracy—intersect in this work.
A vertically oriented oil painting depicts four people with light skin tones in a leafy landscape. In the foreground, a man in a reddish-brown coat kneels toward a woman seated in a light blue and pink dress. Behind them to our right, another woman and man watch from the shade of large trees. Above, a blue, cloudy sky appears through the branches of the towering trees and soft foliage.

Declaration of Love

c. 1720

Nicolas Lancret

(French, 1690–1743)
France, 18th century

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