Artwork
November and December (part of a set illustrating the months of the year)
November and December (part of a set illustrating the months of the year) is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Jean Antoine Watteau. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Antoine Watteau's "November and December," created in 1738, is an oil on panel painting.
- Accession no.
- 22.225.5
- Credit line
- Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1922
About this work
Technique & Style
As part of a series depicting the months of the year, the composition combines a Rococo genre scene with a modest, intimate handling of figures and landscape.
The work titled November and December is executed in oil on a wooden panel, with a frame that is both painted yellow and gilded, reflecting an 18th-century decorative approach. As part of a series depicting the months of the year, the composition combines a Rococo genre scene with a modest, intimate handling of figures and landscape. The panel is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 22.225.5.
The painting’s formal qualities include a restrained palette, delicate brushwork, and an emphasis on decorative framing that underscores its decorative-painting classification.
History & Provenance
November and December, a panel forming part of a set illustrating the months of the year, dates to the second quarter of the eighteenth century. Executed in oil on a wood panel, the work features a painted yellow and gilded frame and is classified both as a painting and as decorative woodwork, reflecting its original function within a larger decorative ensemble. It is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, catalogued under accession number 22.225.5.
The available sources do not establish the work's authorship, original commission, or ownership history prior to its entry into the museum's collection, and no exhibition history is documented.
Overview
Antoine Watteau's "November and December," created in 1738, is an oil on panel painting. This work forms part of a larger series depicting the months of the year, characteristic of decorative art. It features a yellow-painted and gilded wooden frame, integral to its presentation as a unified piece of woodwork and painting.
Subject & Meaning
As a component of a monthly cycle, "November and December" likely illustrates activities or atmospheres associated with these late autumn and early winter periods. The composition features various figures engaged in different pursuits, such as a person on horseback, individuals at work, and children at play. These scenes are integrated with natural elements like flowers and trees, alongside decorative motifs, creating a rich visual narrative.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Antoine Watteau was a French painter and draughtsman whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement, as seen in the tradition of Correggio and Rubens.
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