Park Landscape with a Cheerful Gathering, ca. 1765 – 1770

About the Work

In the second half of the eighteenth century, Fragonard looked back to Antoine Watteau and to the Rococo. He embedded his figures in nature and gave them childish traits. In this sheet, untamed vegetation provides the setting for a company gathered in a circle and passing the time with children’s games. Fragonard made use of the interplay between the red chalk and the light shade of the paper to orchestrate the light and atmosphere.