Young Lovers in a Landscape

Nicolas Lancret was, with Jean-Antoine Watteau, responsible for introducing completely new themes to French painting in the 18th century. Because their subjects could not be classified within existing genres of history, religious, portrait or still-life painting, a new genre of "Fêtes Galantes" (literally "chivalrous" or "romantic" celebrations) was created. One of the favorite artists of the important collectors of his time, Lancret adapted the Fêtes Galantes to the decoration of royal palaces , including Fontainebleau, Chantilly, and Versailles.