Marie Antoinette's

Richard Wilson, Lake Nemi and Genzano from the Terrace of the Capuchin Monastery. Mid-1750s,  oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

It is the middle of the week and I have decided some unwinding is due! I am having a rather chaotic week so I thought I would find some peaceful and relaxing works for our viewing pleasure (and hopefully ease of mind!)



Here are several beautiful images depicting life in Arcadia. Many Greek and Roman mythological events take place in Arcadia, which was filled with shepherds, flocks, nymphs, grottoes and satyrs.  This theme has been popular throughout history in the fine arts.

Arcadia can be thought of as a world undisturbed by modern civilization, where we exist with nature in an ideal state. Pleasure, beauty, contemplation, relaxation, leisurely pursuits, walking, fresh air, earth and foliage are themes here. I just adore these works.  Oh how sweet it is...or at least, looks! 

Lake Nemi and Genzano from the Terrace of the Capuchin Monastery, detail.

Antoine Watteau, The Assembly in the Park. Wood, 1717. Louvre.

Antoine Watteau, The Assembly in the Park, Detail. Wood, 1717. Louvre.

The fête galante often uses Arcadian settings as seen in Watteau's The Assembly in the Park. A fête galante became a genre of painting that portrays upper class society celebrating or enjoying outdoor gatherings and amusements.

Francois Boucher, Diana Resting. 1742. Louvre.

Jean-Antoine Watteau, Le Plaisir pastorale. Oil on panel, 1716. Musée Condé.

François Boucher, Shepherd's Idyll. Oil on canvas, 1768. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.