Fête Galante: La Barque de plaisir

While the idea is his own, we may observe here even more than usual Pater’s dedication to draftsmanship, and his debt to Watteau. Anyone of these figures could have come from one of his master’s paintings, similar carefully posed figures may be found in the work of Watteau and the subject is one which Watteau could easily have chosen.

There exists a smaller variant of this composition in a private collection.