Watteau Abecedario: X. Récréation champêtre

X. Récréation champêtre

Entered November 2024

Whereabouts unknown

Material unknown

31 x 23 cm

PROVENANCE

Paris, collection of marquis Charles de Vallori, prince Rustichelli (1820-1883). His sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, April 16-18, 1866, lot 104: “WATTEAU (ANTOINE) . . . Récréation champêtre. Dans un bosquet, trois personnages dont l’un est en costume en pierrot, entourent une jeune femme qui, assise sur un banc, pince de la guitare. H. 31 c. L. 23 c.” Sold for 1380 francs.

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ferre, Watteau (1972), 3, 941.

REMARKS

fig — Gérard Scotin after Watteau, *Les Jaloux,* engraving, c.1729.

fig — Watteau, *Pierrot content,* Madrid, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, oil on canvas, 35 x 31 cm.

The description of Prince Rustichelli’s picture is analogous to Watteau’s Les Jaloux and Pierrot content because those two compositions similarly show actors in a grove—one dressed as Pierrot, and a woman playing a guitar. Of the two possible sources, Pierrot content is the more likely model because it is vertical like the Rustichelli painting. However, the Rustichelli painting was probably a still different composition. Pierrot content includes five figures whereas the Rustichelli picture had only three. Was the Rustichelli picture an abbreviated version of Watteau’s composition or yet another, different variant?