Artwork Page for Spring

Details / Information for Spring

Spring

c. 1720–36
This object has related works. See

Jean-Baptiste Pater

(French, 1695–1736)
Culture
France, 18th century
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
Framed: 76.5 x 66 x 9 cm (30 1/8 x 26 x 3 9/16 in.); Unframed: 65 x 53.7 cm (25 9/16 x 21 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Harry D. Kendrick 1951.486
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
216B French and German
Print

Description

Spring and Summer are two scenes from a four-season series. These landscapes were originally a part of a screen or a decorative panel, indicated by their floral borders and oval shape. The setting of Spring is believed to be the grounds of Montmorency, the country estate of Pierre Crozat (1665–1740), a wealthy financier and art collector in early eighteenth-century Paris. Summer counters Spring's aristocratic leisure by depicting rural labor. Befitting the work's decorative origins, however, Pater's scene belongs to the tradition of the timeless pastoral. More idyllic than a statement about class differences, the reapers peacefully gather sheaves of wheat as shepherds rest with their flocks in the foreground.
A vertically oriented oval oil painting depicts figures with light skin tones in a park clearing. In the lower left, two men use rakes on a sandy path, while two women stand near slender trees on our right. Centrally, a couple walks away toward a distant stone structure. Muted greens and browns frame the scene, where a pale blue sky peeks through a high canopy of arching, feathered foliage.

Spring

c. 1720–36

Jean-Baptiste Pater

(French, 1695–1736)
France, 18th century

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork