Hardships of War

This Hardships of War, around 1715, in the Hermitage, depicts soldiers on the march—a subject drawn from Watteau's early experience painting military scenes in the tradition of Flemish battle painters. The painting reveals the harsh realities behind the elegant world of his fêtes galantes. 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 parkla...

The military figures are rendered with the same observational precision Watteau brought to courtly subjects, their fatigue and discomfort expressed through posture and gesture. The somber palette contrasts markedly with the shimmering silks of his garden scenes.