ARTISTA FRANCESE ANONIMO, CIRCA 1750

ANONYMOUS FRENCH ARTIST, CIRCA 1750 GALLANT SCENE IN A WOODED PARK France, mid-18th century Charcoal on cream-colored laid paper 26 × 33.5 cm / 10.2 × 13.2 inches, unframed PROVENANCE Private collection, Paris This charming charcoal drawing delicately evokes the refined world of the 18th-century French fête galante. A group of elegantly dressed ladies and gallants gather in a wooded setting, ideal for courteous conversation and bucolic rêverie. The free and fluid line reflects the graphic tradition inaugurated by Watteau and continued by artists such as Lancret, Pater, and Saint-Aubin. The semicircular composition, the economy of means, and the subtlety of the line reveal a sure hand, attentive to the effects of chiaroscuro without resorting to sfumato or reserve whites. This drawing can be considered an autonomous work or a preparatory study for a more elaborate composition, perhaps intended for printing or a small-format painting. Typical of the Enlightenment's taste for intimate pastoral scenes and elegant social interaction, this sheet captivates with its grace and freshness.