Q29224246

Held in the Louvre's Department of Paintings and assigned the date 1650 in the Wikidata record — before Santerre was born (c. 1651–1717) — this dating is almost certainly in error and likely represents a database input mistake. The work should be understood as a product of Santerre's actual career, spanning from the 1680s to his death in 1717. The Louvre's holdings of French Baroque painting are among the most comprehensive in the world, and the inclusion of a Santerre canvas reflects his significant position within late seventeenth-century French art. His soft, sensual treatment of female figures was admired and collected in his lifetime, and the Louvre's acquisition — through whatever historical channel — acknowledges his lasting importance to the French tradition.

A Santerre in the Louvre collection would exemplify the qualities that made him a sought-after painter: the pearlescent flesh modelling, the soft tonal transitions between light and shadow, and the psychological intimacy of his female subjects. The Louvre's conservation resources make this among the best-preserved examples of his work.