Who painted 'Les quatre heures de jour' (folding screen)?

'Les quatre heures de jour' (folding screen) was painted by Nicolas Lancret in 1726.

Where can I see 'Les quatre heures de jour' (folding screen)?

'Les quatre heures de jour' (folding screen) is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

Artwork

'Les quatre heures de jour' (folding screen)

'Les quatre heures de jour' (folding screen) is an oil painting by Nicolas Lancret. It dates from 1726 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1726 by French artist Nicolas Lancret, *Les quatre heures de jour* is an oil-painted folding screen. The work measures several panels that together form a continuous scene, and it is presently housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum. It exemplifies Lancret’s focus on genteel social settings during the early eighteenth‑century French court.

Subject & Meaning

The screen portrays a leisurely daytime gathering of aristocratic figures engaged in lighthearted conversation and amusement. The composition emphasizes the rituals of courtly leisure, highlighting the fashions, gestures, and interpersonal dynamics that defined upper‑class French society in the period following the Regency.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil on canvas, the panels display Lancret’s characteristic soft palette and delicate brushwork. The artist balances fine detail in costume and décor with a luminous handling of light, creating a harmonious, almost theatrical atmosphere that underscores the scene’s convivial tone.

History & Provenance

After its creation in the mid‑1720s, the screen entered private collections before being acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it remains part of the European paintings department. Its documented provenance traces back to the artist’s workshop and subsequent owners in England during the nineteenth century.

Context

Lancret worked during the Regency of the Duke of Orléans and the early reign of Louis XV, a time when French art favored elegant genre scenes over grand historical narratives. *Les quatre heures de jour* reflects this cultural shift, offering a visual record of the refined entertainments and domestic interiors favored by the aristocracy of the era.