Jean-Baptiste Pater

Possibly George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland (1828-1892), Stafford House, London;
Possibly Baron Alfred Charles de Rothschild (1842-1918), London and Halton House, Bucks, acquired from the above in November 1876 (as Watteau);
Sir Berkeley Sheffield, 6th Bt. (1876-1946), 8 South Audley Street, London;
His sale, London, Christie's, 16 July 1943, lot 100;
Mr. A.E.H. Digby; 
His deceased sale, London, Sotheby's, 20 June 1951, lot 30, for £4,200.

Both canvases have 20th century linings which are sound and stable. Each painting has been fairly recently cleaned and restored. The paint surface of each is in good overall condition. There are a few minor retouchings visible to the naked eye which are confirmed under ultra-violet light but these are, for the most part, confined to subsidiary background areas, such as details of the horizons and small parts of the foliage. The figures themselves appear to be well-preserved throughout both pictures with only slight strengthening around the central group of the Reunion champetre and the girl to the left. The varnish is glossy but a little uneven.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Following Antoine Watteau’s early death in 1718, it was left to his erstwhile and only pupil, Jean-Baptiste Pater to meet the rising demand for the ‘modern’ subjects of the fête champêtre or fête galante that the former had introduced. Admitted to the Académie Royale as an associate member in July 1725, Pater devoted the rest of his highly successful career to producing genre paintings such as these for the Parisian market. The spirit and subject matter of Pater’s works were profoundly influenced by Watteau, and like them he skilfully clothed the figures in his imaginary settings in an imaginative mixture of contemporary clothing and fancy dress. Although Watteau only occasionally painted versions of his designs, Pater did so routinely. The design of the first of these pictures, for example, is mirrored by another signed work formerly in the collection of Frederick the Great of Prussia and now at Schloss Sanssouci near Potsdam.¹ Frederick was an avid collector of Pater’s works, and owned over forty works by him. Another very similar work, but with some figures reversed, was sold New York, Sotheby’s, 25 January 2007, lot 98 ($600,000).

This pair of paintings is also thought to have had the distinction of having belonged to two of the most famous collections of paintings formed in the 19th century. By tradition they were acquired from the collection of George, 3rd Duke of Sutherland at Stafford House in London, one of the most famous collections of paintings and objets d’art of its day. An invoice dated 3 November 1876 records the sale of '1 piece of Mother of pearl furniture, metal mounted &c, 1 Small piece to match and 2 Pictures Watteau'  to Alfred de Rothschild for the sum of ten thousand pounds. The collection formed by Baron Alfred de Rothschild (1842 – 1918) and kept at his houses in Halton in Buckinghamshire and at Seamore Place in London, was no less magnificent, and included several paintings by both Watteau and Pater. However, the illustrated catalogue of his collection, published in 1884, does not record a pair of paintings of this description by either artist.

1. F. Ingersoll-Smouse, Pater, Paris 1928, p. 40, no. 35, reproduced fig. 31.