An Outdoor Luncheon

Anonymous, French, 18th century

18th century · Black and red chalk with stumping · Drawings and Prints

This chalk study appears to be an artist's first idea for a scene of outdoor merriment. An elegant party gathers around a table while servants offer trays of food and drink. Such subjects were popular in the rococo era when French artists from Antoine Watteau to Jean Honoré Fragonard produced scenes of galantry set in lush landscapes.

Artist

Anonymous, French, 18th century

Date

18th century

Medium

Black and red chalk with stumping

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Stephen A. Geiger, 2021