Partie Carrée
1870 National Gallery of Canada
About this artwork
This oil on canvas painting depicts a sophisticated group of four people enjoying an outdoor picnic by a river. The composition focuses on the leisure activities of the fashionable French upper-middle class during the late 19th century.
Did you know?
The term 'partie carrée' refers to a foursome, typically two couples, engaging in an intimate and often romantic social outing. Painted just before Tissot fled Paris for London during the Franco-Prussian War, the work highlights the artist's keen observation of the intricate social dynamics and refined pastimes of the Parisian bourgeoisie.
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Partie Carrée
James Tissot, 1870
