A Gallery of Lancret

Nicolas Lancret (Paris, France, 22nd January 1690 – Paris, France, 14th September 1743) 

Nicolas Lancret, master of Fêtes Galantes was born on this day and is the ideal place to start for a new and occasional feature here on the Guide, on which I mark the birth or death of a great painter with a gallery of their work.

If you'd like to read more about Lancret's life and even more of his wonderful paintings, please do gad over to my earlier post or, for a look at a saucy Lancret canvas, learn more about A Girl in a Kitchen. If you fancy a more visual feast, I've assembled some of my favourite Lancret works below; to get a closer look, simply click on the image!

Concert in the Park

Dance in a Pavillion, 1730

Fete in a Wood, 1725-30

Mlle Camargo Dancing, 1730

The Earth, pre-1732

The Four Ages of Man

Childhood, pre-1735

Youth, pre-1735

Maturity, pre-1735

Old Age, pre-1735

Some Fine Georgian Sauce: A Girl in a Kitchen

Nicolas Lancret (Paris, France, 22nd January 1690 – Paris, France, 14th September 1743)

I have previously introduced you to Nicolas Lancret, the master of fêtes galantes and a painter beloved of some most illustrious clients. It is my pleasure to revisit the work of Lancret today, on the anniversary of his death, to take a closer look at one of his more cheeky works of art, A Girl in a Kitchen, painted in the 1720s.

In fact, this work is not entirely that of the French artist but owes its evocative kitchen scene to another, unknown artist, for the interior existed long before Lancret added the figure we see before us. The interior is the work of a Dutch artist whose identity has been lost to time. Lancret took this painting and decided what it really needed was a flash of flesh so, with this in mind, he painted in a girl to the right hand side and enhanced the still life beside her. 

In her partially unlaced corset, the young lady is examining herself for fleas, a necessary evil in the 18th century kitchen! However, practical though the activity may be, Lancret's intention was not to show a scene of domestic life but rather to add a little titillation to the previously somber canvas. The girl's breast is partially exposed and she is touching her own bosom, no doubt to the delight of any onlookers who had the fortune to admire the painting.

The Wallace Collection's investigations into this painting have shown that the girl was painted in over the top of a small dog who was previously to be seen examining some food that sat on the seat of the chair. The dog and food are long gone, a little Georgian sauce added in their place!

Nicolas Lancret, Master of Fêtes Galantes

Nicolas Lancret (Paris, France, 22nd January 1690 – Paris, France, 14th September 1743) 

Pop out your paints and canvas because we're leaving literature and music behind today to spend a little time with Nicolas Lancret, a master of his craft who displayed a genius for light comedy and pastoral scenes. Aristocratic playtime never looked so idyllic...

The Swing

Lancret was born in Paris as the son of a coachman; he showed a talent for art in his youth and initially trained as an engraver before being apprenticed to Pierre d'Ulin, who began the young man's formal training. Despite d'Ulin's efforts, Lancret's admiration for Jean-Antoine Watteau led him to leave his position in 1712 and join the studio of Claude Gillot, who had trained Watteau, eventually beginning a friendship with his idol.

He remained with Gillot for a year, enjoying increasing plaudits and success but his friendship with Watteau took a blow when Lancret exhibited two works that were so similar in style to Watteau's that some attributed them to him. The older painter was aggrieved that Lancret had apparently copied his style though this personal upset certainly did no damage to Lancret's career, the new toast of Paris in more demand than ever.

A Lady and Gentleman Taking Coffee with Children in a Garden, 1742

Though his initial training with d'Ulin had been as a history painter, Lancret eventually specialised in light scenes depicting members of the nobility who were, essentially, having fun. His career gathered speed at a remarkable rate and in 1718 he joined the Académie Royale in Paris as a painter of fêtes galantes, a category that only existed because of Watteau. He became hugely popular with the great and good of Paris following the deaths of both Watteau and Gillot. After his first royal commission in 1725, Louis XV became a particular fan and soon his works were hanging in palaces across Europe. So great was his reputation that he was appointed a councillor at the Académie in 1735. He proved himself a canny operator in terms of business too, raking in the profits from prints and engravings sold after his paintings.

Sleeping Shepherdess, 1730

With his career enjoying such success, Lancret did not find time to marry until 1741 when he wed an 18 year girl, supposedly to save her from entering a convent. Just two years later he fell victim to pneumonia, leaving behind a rich collection of over 700 works in a variety of genres, all of them distinctly Lancret.

Would you like to see more? My Pinterest board is happy to oblige!

Le Déjeuner de Jambon, 1735

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

Pen and Sword

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Book Depository (free worldwide shipping)