and perishable graces of the
drawing-room and garden-comedy of life, with the delicate odour of
decay which rises from the soil, was probably due to the fact that he
despised them. The whole age of the Revolution lies between these
irresponsible and gay courtiers in the _scenes galantes_ of Watteau
and the virile peasant scenes in the "epic of toil" painted by Millet.
In this room hangs his Academy picture, the Embarkation for Cythera,
982, L. wall, its colour unhappily almost worn away by over cleaning.
His pupils, Pater (1696-1736), and Lancret (1690-1743), imitated his
style, but were unable to soar to the higher plane of their master's
genius. The former is represented by a Fete Champetre, 689, R. wall:
the latter by the Four Seasons, 462-465, R. wall; on the L. wall, 468,
The Music Lesson, and 469, Innocence, both from the Palace of
Fontainebleau. The Fete Galante dies with these artists whom we shall
meet again better represented in the Salle La Caze. A famous
contemporary of Pater and Lancret and first painter to the king was
Charles Antoine Coypel (1694-1752), grandson of Noel Coypel
(1629-1707), and son of Antoine (1661-1722), both of whom are
represented in the Louvre (Rooms XIV.-XVI., 157-166, and 167-175), His
Perseus and Andromeda, 180, hangs R. of the entrance of this room.
Charles Andre Vanloo (1705-1765), known as Carle Vanloo, (whose
grandfather, Jacob Vanloo, is represented by two pictures, 2451, 2452,
hung among the Dutch artists in Rooms XXIV. and XXVI.), enjoyed a
great vogue in his day. His facile drawing and riotous colour
temporarily enriched the language with a new verb--to _vanlooter_.
899, on the L. wall, A Hunting Picnic, is an admirable specimen of his
supple talent. The flaunting sensuality of Francois Boucher
(1703-1770), and of Jean Honore Fragonnard (1732-1806), who lavished
undoubted genius and ignoble industry in the service of the depraved
boudoir tastes of the Pompadours and Du Barrys that ruled at
Versailles, are seen here and in the Salle la Caze in all their
eloquent vulgarity. That Boucher had in him the elements of a great
painter may be inferred from the charming little sketch, 30, R. wall,
Diana, and from the excellent interior, 50A, L. wall, Breakfast. His
popular pastoral scenes, executed with amazing facility, with their
beribboned shepherds and dainty shepherdesses, are exemplified in 32
and 33, R. wall, and 34 and 35, L. wall. Other works by this fluent
servant of La Pom