Fête galante paintings are an important part of theRococo period of art, which saw the focus of European arts move away from the hierarchical, standardized grandeur of the church androyal court and toward an appreciation for intimacy and personal pleasures. Nonetheless, the lush, outdoor settings offête galante paintings were often borrowed from earlier paintings, especially from Venetian paintings of the 16th century and Dutch paintings of the 17th century.
The nineteenth century saw an anachronistic revival of such scenes in thecostume genre depictions orscene galante paintings by, for example,Arturo Ricci.
L'Accord Parfait (LACMA)- painted by Watteau between 1717 and 1718. A lovely young woman holds music for a homely old man playing aflute.
Le Collation - by Pater. Gentry flirt and pick flowers before a female nude reclining on a mound shaped like a sea shell. The nude probably represents the goddessVenus.
Danse dans le Parc - byNicolas Lancret. Lavishly dressed courtiers dance before the statue of an heroic male nude. Male nudes were a favorite subject of history paintings, so this statue clearly is meant to elevate the dancers to "historical" status.
Les Deux Cousines - painted by Watteau between 1717 and 1718. Two women in whitesatin gowns are offered a red cape by a gallant young man. As in other fête galante paintings, Greco-Roman statues along the lake help elevate this genre scene tohistory painting status.
A Lady in a Garden Taking Coffee With Some Children - painted by Lancret about 1742. A woman seated next to a fountain in a lavish garden spoons some exotic coffee over to her children while two men- probably a husband and a servant- look on.
Mezzetino - painted by Watteau between 1718 and 1720. Not technically a fête galante, this painting shows a pathetic figure from the Italiancommedia dell'arte serenading a statue.
APilgrimage to Cythera - painted by Watteau in 1717. Beautifully dressed aristocrats, attended by cherubs, visit an island supposedly dedicated to the ancient love goddessCythera. This painting is often held up as the prototype of the fête galante.
The Shepherds - painted by Watteau about 1716. This painting plays on a long tradition of aristocrats pretending to be rural shepherds, a tradition which flourished in the 18th century, most famously at the mock hamlet ofMarie Antoinette.
Venetian Pleasures - painted by Watteau between 1718 and 1719. Two dancers (the man in Arabian costume) perform for a crowd of onlookers in front of a statue of Venus. The bagpiper may be aself-portrait.
^Kleiner, Fred, S. (Ed.) (2011)Gardner's Art Through the Ages: A global history. Enhanced 13th edn. Boston: Wadsworth, p. 755.ISBN978-0-495-79986-3
^Clarke, M. & D. (2010) "fête galante" inThe Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. oxfordreference.com,Oxford University Press. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
