Lente c. 1726s

Louis Desplaces made this print, “Lente,” in the 18th century, after a painting by Watteau. It depicts a pastoral scene of classical figures, a celebration of springtime fertility, and a vision of earthly paradise. France at this time had a rigid class structure and the court of Louis XIV developed elaborate customs around dress, manners, and taste. Art became an important means to express social status, and the academy played a key role in promoting the values of the court. Watteau and Desplaces turned to ancient myth for their imagery, but they updated it with a lighter touch, producing paintings and prints that suited the tastes of a new, wealthy elite. What does it mean to look at ancient Greece as a source of inspiration? And how does the image reflect the social structure of its time? These are just some of the questions art historians ask when trying to understand this work.