Maverick Mist

Le Goûter (1725-1730)
Jean-Baptiste Pater
French, 1695-1736
Les Baigneuses, 18th century
Oil on canvas

Pater was one of the principal painters of the Rococo, specializing in depictions of the leisured lifestyle of the French aristocracy. In Le Goûter (Afternoon Tea) a group of elegantly dressed young people converse and flirt in a lush park setting. Pater's Les Baigneuses (The Bathers), also exhibited here, introduces a note of sensuality only hinted at in the first picture. The theme of the bathing party was immensely popular with Pater's patrons, and nearly 30 of his variations on this subject are known today. His paintings, in general, betray the influence of Rubens (1577-1640) in their rich color and relatively free brushwork.

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