Les Enfants du Fermier

This endearing pastoral by Boucher is one the artist’s most successful early compositions, a fact attested to by the several autograph versions that are known today. The composition was engraved by Louis Michel Halbou (J.-R. Pierrette, L’Oeuvre gravé de François Boucher, Paris, 1978, no. 1072, illustrated), probably in the 1750s or 1760s. Painted shortly after his return to France from a two-year sojourn to Italy (1728-c. 1731), this picture strongly reflects the influence of the 16th century pastorals by the Bassano family that Boucher would have seen there, especially evident in the young painter’s prominent inclusion of characteristically fluffy ‘Bassano’ sheep. As Alastair Laing has observed (written communications, 12 December 2001 and 5 February 2002), the period immediately following Boucher’s return from Italy was a moment when the artist was eagerly repeating his successful compositions in order to establish himself and to make a living, and well before he had the financial security to afford studio assistance. Despite its reliance on Italian models, however, the present work is also reminiscent of the art of Antoine Watteau, whose paintings and drawings Boucher had copied and extensively reproduced in etchings. Indeed, Boucher’s poses for the shepherd and shepherdess are a modified quotation of the couple in Watteau’s playfully erotic painting L’Indiscret (Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-Van Beuningen).

We are grateful to Alastair Laing, who has examined the painting in person, and Peter Dewar for their assistance in preparing this entry.