Conclusion of the marriage contract by Jean Antoine Watteau

The conclusion of the marriage contract – a typical “gallant scene” by Antoine Watteau. The very event of signing a marriage contract is shifted into the depths of the canvas, where the ceremonial bride and groom sit next to the contracting officer and dressed in a black notary. They are depicted against the background of a red curtain, which, dissolving, gradually merges with the color of the foliage.

The whole picture is built on endless gradations of warm colors – red-brown, pinkish-yellow, and even bluish tones do not violate the overall warm range of the picture. Only a few bright cold color spots are visible – a small piece of the sky, among the crowns of trees above the newlyweds, and the blue figurine in the foreground.

In the foreground of the picture are dancing people and musicians. All the characters resemble porcelain figurines. With amazing skill, several strokes of the brush, the artist conveys the texture of the clothes of the dancing people. The outlines are a bit blurry and from this the whole scene depicted seems to be filled with air.