Black Presence at the Wallace Collection: Charmes de Vie
Take a closer look at representations of Blackness at the Wallace Collection to uncover a range of complex and captivating narratives.
Les Charmes de la vie (18th Century) by Antoine WatteauThe Wallace Collection
Charmes de vie or The Attractions of Life is an example of Watteau’s classic Fêtes galantes genre. It outlines themes of celebration, sociability and romantic pursuits set against an idyllic backdrop.
In this scene, a group of aristocrats indulge in music and flirtatious conversation in a palatial terrace.
Seemingly detached from the festivities, a Black servant leans next to a water basin used for cooling bottles.
There are various interpretations as to what inspired the figure of the young serving boy.
Mademoiselle de Clermont en sultane (1733) by Jean-Marc NattierThe Wallace Collection
Watteau likely drew inspiration from the social structures around him, whereby in eighteenth-century France it had become a growing craze to possess Black servants.
For many contemporaries, the ownership of Black people signified the possession of “exotic accessories”, emblematic of wealth and prestige.
Notably, Code Noire (1685) outlined the status and condition of enslaved people in the colonies. However, by the eighteenth century, there was a wave of legislation designed to clarify their position in mainland France.
Only two years prior to the production of Charmes de vie, the Edict of 1716 was passed. This piece of legislation outlined the position of enslaved people who were brought to France, including legal protection for their owners.
Les Charmes de la vie (18th Century) by Antoine WatteauThe Wallace Collection
The serving boy’s presence within the scene therefore exposes the precarious position of enslaved people in eighteenth-century France.
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