A unique style of French painting specifically created by the French Academy in 1717, fête galante is a romantic interpretation of landscape paintings where gentleman suitors can be seen courting women of nobility. Our large scale triptych painting is an early 20th century composition by the French painter, Arthur Foache (two of the canvases are signed in the lower left corner and one has a tag on the back with a brief bio).
All three panels (which are over nine feet tall) are surrounded by a gilded frame embellished with uninterrupted fluting. Each panel is vibrantly colored yet subdued, with heavily wooded backgrounds of green, brown, and tan beneath a blue and yellow sky. In each scene, a fair-headed woman in a white dress is being courted by a well-dressed gentleman with a powdered wig (in the middle panel, there are three women and two men). Winged cherubs flitter about two of the panels, leading the group down a cream colored path towards a domed pergola on the middle panel (as seen in the main photo) adorned with caulicole and drapery tied with ribbon bows. In the final panel, a suitor in red is laying on the verdant ground beside a pond, kissing the hand of his intended. A row of bushes with white flowers can be seen behind them, in front of a tall wall with a balustrade railing, ball finials, and vases on pedestals.
Born in 1871 in Janze, France, Baron Pierre Arthur Foache was the great-grandson of two well-known French shipowners. Although Foache studied under Benjamin-Constant, whose forte was portraits, this fête galante is more akin to the 18th century style of Antoine Watteau. The term fête galante was coined by the French Academy specifically for Watteau’s paintings, which were his interpretations of the fête champêtre theme, which were 18th century garden parties.
This set of 3 very tall paintings were likely commissioned for a boiserie or paneled room in the Belle Époque era of France of the early 1900s.
CONDITION: Good antique condition, with small patches to two of the canvases. Light scratches with visible stretcher rubs to the canvases, both commensurate with age and handling. Some minor rubs and buildup to the frames.
