Artwork
La Camargo Dancing
La Camargo Dancing is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Nicolas Lancret. It dates from 1730 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
As a Rococo painting by Nicolas Lancret, the piece employs oil paint to capture the movement and elegance characteristic of the period's courtly dance scenes.
Created in 1730, La Camargo Dancing is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work measures 76.2 cm in height and 106.7 cm in width. As a Rococo painting by Nicolas Lancret, the piece employs oil paint to capture the movement and elegance characteristic of the period's courtly dance scenes.
The medium allows for the fluid rendering of the dancer's costume and posture, consistent with Lancret's style of depicting theatrical subjects.
History & Provenance
Nicolas Lancret painted La Camargo Dancing in 1730. The painting was owned by Friedrich II, King of Prussia, at Potsdam, and descended through the Hohenzollern family to Kaiser Wilhelm II in Berlin. In December 1927, it was sold through Hugo Moser, Berlin, to Duveen Brothers, Inc.
Andrew W. Mellon purchased it in April 1928. Mellon deeded the work on 1 May 1937 to The A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust, Pittsburgh, which gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in 1937.
Earlier published provenance linking the painting to Prince Carignan and Count von Rothenburg has been deemed incorrect, as the painting belonging to the Prince was of smaller dimensions than this work.
La Camargo Dancing is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it is part of the Andrew W. Mellon collection. The work was deeded to the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust on May 1, 1937, before being gifted to the National Gallery of Art later that same year. Prior to its arrival in the United States, the painting resided in the imperial collection of the Hohenzollern family in Potsdam and Berlin, where it was listed under inventory number GK I 5297.
It was sold in December 1927 through Hugo Moser in Berlin to Duveen Brothers, Inc., and subsequently purchased by Andrew W. Mellon in April 1928. The provided sources do not record specific exhibition history for the work.
Legacy
The painting La Camargo Dancing by Nicolas Lancret has been recognized as a significant example of 18th-century French Rococo art, particularly for its dynamic portrayal of dance and theatrical movement. Its journey from the Prussian royal collection to American ownership through Andrew W. Mellon highlighted its cultural value, leading to its inclusion in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains on public view. The work's influence extends to later interpretations of dance in art, contributing to the understanding of Rococo aesthetics in European painting traditions.
Overview
Created circa 1730 by French painter Nicolas Lancret, this oil on canvas portrays the famed dancer Marie‑Anne de Cupis de Camargo. Executed in the Rococo idiom, the work reflects the lightness and decorative elegance characteristic of early eighteenth‑century French art during the regency of the Duke of Orléans and the early reign of Louis XV.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on Camargo in a flamboyant costume, captured mid‑dance with arms and legs extended in a lively gesture. Her posture conveys both physical vigor and the theatrical poise prized in courtly performance, embodying the era’s fascination with refined movement and the celebrated status of the dancer as a cultural icon.
Context
Camargo’s fame as a virtuoso dancer coincided with a period when ballet and theatrical dance gained prominence at the French court. Lancret’s depiction aligns with contemporary visual culture that celebrated leisure, elegance, and the social rituals of aristocratic entertainment, situating the work within the broader narrative of early‑modern French society.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolas Lancret (French pronunciation:; 22 January 1690 – 14 September 1743) was a French painter.
