The Cascade

Watteau's The Cascade, also painted in 1704, is a companion to The Country Dance and represents another early exploration of the pastoral landscape with figures that would become his life's work. The waterfall setting adds a naturalistic element to the decorative scene of leisure. These early works were influenced by Flemish landscape painters and the Italian pastoral tradition, which Watteau would synthesize into his uniquely French vision of Arcadian elegance.

The oil-on-wood technique shows Watteau's developing sensitivity to atmospheric effects, with the cascade providing an opportunity to render moving water and reflected light. The composition balances the natural feature with the decorative figures in a harmonious, if still youthful, design.