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The image shows a tranquil scene under the shade of trees. The view is slightly elevated, capturing a grove rich with foliage and tree trunks. The art style appears to be a light, sketch-like technique with red chalk or pencil. The color palette is limited to shades of soft cinnabar or rust, giving a gentle warmth to the scene. Two figures, a woman and a young boy in period clothing, are sitting beneath the trees. More foliage is seen in the distance, creating a natural frame around the central figures.
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The image shows a tranquil scene under the shade of trees. The view is slightly elevated, capturing a grove rich with foliage and tree trunks. The art style appears to be a light, sketch-like technique with red chalk or pencil. The color palette is limited to shades of soft cinnabar or rust, giving a gentle warmth to the scene. Two figures, a woman and a young boy in period clothing, are sitting beneath the trees. More foliage is seen in the distance, creating a natural frame around the central figures.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

A Shepherd and Shepherdess Seated under a Tree

Antoine Watteau

Date
1710
Medium
red chalk with black chalk on laid paper
Dimensions
overall: 22.8 × 17 cm (9 × 6 11/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
2022.40.3
Credit line
Gift of Donald Stone
Time span
1701 to 1725
Department
CG-E
Original NGA record

Subjects and terms

  • French
  • Woman
  • Tree
  • Costume
  • Sheep
  • Man
Provenance

(Galerie Cailleux, Paris, c. 1985). (sale, Christie's New York: Thursday, January 28, 1999, no. 114; bought in). Donald Stone, New York [1942 - 2020]; bequest to NGA, 2022.

Inscription

by later hand, lower center verso in graphite: Antoine Watteau

NGA object ID 136743. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.