Declaration of Love
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
unframed: 80.1 × 64 cm · framed: 103 × 90.5 × 9 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Collection
Accession Number
1944.86
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
A category of painting invented in France in the early 1700s is the fête galante (gallant party), with subject matter that hovers between fantasy and reality. The figures in theatrical costume derive from Italian street performers seen in Paris, while the playful outdoor garden party connects to leisure activities enjoyed by certain Parisian elites. The arts of conversation, music, and painting—all highly valued by French aristocracy—intersect in this work.