Allegory of the Summer in Ceres

This Allegory of Summer as Ceres, around 1717, in the National Gallery of Art, shows the classical goddess of harvest in a seasonal allegory. Watteau rarely painted mythological subjects, but this commission required him to work within the decorative tradition of seasonal cycles. Watteau painted in oil on panel and canvas using luminous brushstrokes laid over careful preparation, achieving a shimmering surface that captures the play of light on silk and the atmosphere of damp parkland. He die...

The allegorical figure is rendered with Watteau's characteristic grace, the golden wheat and warm palette evoking summer abundance. The decorative function is served without sacrificing the psychological subtlety that distinguishes his figure painting.