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JEAN-HONORÉ FRAGONARD , GRASSE, 1732 - PARIS, 1806 The Little Gardener Oil on canvas 98 x 85 cm Sitting in the middle of a bucolic landscape, a little girl comfortably seated on an embankment picks a flower she is about to arrange in a wicker basket. Her attention is drawn elsewhere as if she is witnessing a scene beyond the frame. This child, aged five or six, is dressed like an adult, with a French dress and a bodice with a wide neckline. A straw hat, thrown back, seems to halo her. Somewhere between a cherub and a putto, the girl belongs to an idealised world of childhood that enhances the gallant scenes of their elders. This young lady must probably have a cherub in tow to give her a reply. The oval format of the work suggests a panel that would fit into the decor of a living room. The bright, warm colours of the dress are enhanced by the more pastel range of the surrounding vegetation. The blue of the sky, dotted with white clouds, takes on a decorative rather than atmospheric quality. Everything is harmonious and balanced, from the leaning tree in the background that responds to the child's swaying, to the rounded shape of her dress that fits into the oval of the frame. Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806) was a major painter of the French 18th century. Trained in the studio of François Boucher (1703-1770), Fragonard was introduced to the master's Rococo style. After winning the Prix de Rome at the age of 20, he went to Italy with Hubert Robert and discovered the virtuoso painting of Tiepolo. In 1765, he was admitted to the Academy as a history painter but left this great genre to devote himself to a more gallant, even erotic painting, more in tune with the tastes of the court of Louis XV. The lightness of his touch, which knows how to capture the fleeting moment of a glance or a kiss, is always marked by elegance and restraint, as shown by the Coquette fixée. To the frivolity of the subject is added a candour, underlined by pastel colours. The characters, never saucy, embody the innocence of a childhood still latent. The Little Gardener still belongs to this tender age, a spectator before soon becoming an actress. The bucolic landscapes with their tender greens, dotted with flowers, often serve as a backdrop to these ephemeral idylls. This intimate painting, intended for private flats, was very fashionable in the middle of the 18th century, and was much appreciated by the king and the libertine aristocracy. These small formats with their soft tones are wonderfully suited to the alcoves for which they were intended. Certificate: René Millet Expertise Signatur: Signed and monogrammed at right