A landscape painter and an etcher, Pillement was also one of the most popular and inventive decorators of his era. He traveled widely and worked throughout Europe, serving as official painter to Queen Marie Antoinette of France as well as to the Polish king, Stanislas Augustus, for whom he embellished the royal castle in Warsaw in the 1760s. Pillement’s landscapes are delicately colored and often incorporate groups of peasants engaged in various pursuits. Architectural ruins are common elements, and a harbor with graceful sailing vessels is a frequent motif. The overall soft light becomes more intense as it illuminates the figures that cast strong shadows on the surrounding terrain. --EPS, label text as of August 2023