The Prince and Princess Condé Dressed as Gardeners (1736 - 1818 and 1737 - 1760)

The Prince and Princess de Conde, costumed as gardeners, appear in this 1757 portrait at Waddesdon Manor. Pastoral disguise—dressing as shepherds, gardeners, or other rural figures—was a fashionable conceit at Versailles, allowing the aristocracy to play at rustic simplicity while maintaining their essential grandeur. Drouais renders the conceit with characteristic elegance, the "gardening" costumes as luxurious as any court dress. Drouais was among the most successful portraitists of pre-Revolutionary France, working in the tradition of his father Hubert Drouais and studying under Carle van Loo, Natoire, and Boucher before establishing himself at court.

The pastoral costumes introduce simpler, more natural fabrics and colors than formal court dress, though Drouais ensures that the quality of the sitters" actual status shows through the disguise. The garden setting and tools provide props that add narrative charm. The palette is lighter and more varied than formal portraits, with greens and earth tones reflecting the pastoral theme. The handling maintains Drouais"s characteristic smoothness.