FRANZ CHRISTOPH JANNECK | THE MINUET

Austrian Rococo painter Franz Christoph Janneck's sumptuous fête galante The Minuet is a fascinating scene that takes inspiration from a variety of sources. The painting's narrative details reflect the influence of Antoine Watteau, the leading painter of the French Rococo, while its acute attention to detail is reminiscent of the Leiden Fijnschilders school of the 17th and early 18th century. The smooth, pastel-colored silk costumes and curtains contrast with the sharp shimmering pearled jewels, gold sword handles, and silverware in the foreground, creating the perfect conversation piece, or informal group portrait. The profusion of objects and textures in this scene produce an air of opulence that was very much desired in the 18th century.