Nicolas Lancret - The Four Ages of Man: Old Age [c.1735]

Nicolas Lancret - The Four Ages of Man: Old Age [c.1735], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

A young girl rejects the advances of an old man at the left. At the right two elderly women are seated, one spinning and the other asleep. The seated figures may have been inspired by the peasant scenes of the Le Nain brothers. 

Lancret (1690-1743) was one of the chief followers of Watteau in early 18th-century France, producing 'fetes galantes' (small groups of elegantly attired men and women) and conversation pieces in a style similar to that of Watteau. Like his English contemporary, Hogarth, Lancret profited from prints made after his paintings. Unlike Hogarth, whose work looked at the underside of life, Lancret painted aristocrats engaged in playful pursuits. 

[Oil on canvas, 34.6 x 45.4 cm]