Pastoral Dance

Nicolas Lancret was, alongside Pater, the most successful follower of Watteau's fête galante tradition, and Pastoral Dance from around 1725 is a characteristic example of his cheerful, sunlit take on the genre. Where Watteau's fêtes carry an undercurrent of longing and transience, Lancret's versions are more openly festive, their dancing figures suggesting uncomplicated pleasure. Lancret was enormously popular with collectors during his lifetime, and Louis XV acquired numerous examples of his work. His dancers have an energy and lightness that reflect both his natural temperament and his study of actual dance forms.

Lancret arranges his dancers in a parkland setting with characteristic openness of space and brightness of light. His palette is decidedly lighter and sunnier than Watteau's, with crisp whites and pinks dominating the costumed figures, set against silvery-green foliage.