The term translates from French literally as "gallant party".

By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. A fête galante is a rich outdoor party in a paradisic setting. Other articles where Fête galante is discussed: Western painting: France: …of Watteau’s wistful fantasies, called fêtes galantes, provided the models for the paintings of Jean-Baptiste Pater and Nicolas Lancret, both of whom conveyed a delicately veiled eroticism. Get kids back-to-school ready with Expedition: Learn! Austrian Rococo painter Franz Christoph Janneck's sumptuous fête galante Elegant Company Feasting On A Terrace is a fascinating scene that takes inspiration from a variety of sources.

Eroticism was more explicit in the sensuous nudes, both mythological and pastoral, of François Boucher.
All Of These Words Are Offensive (But Only Sometimes)“Unalienable” vs. “Inalienable”: Is There A Difference?Absentee Ballot vs. Mail-In Ballot: Is There A Difference?“Epidemic” vs. “Pandemic” vs. “Endemic”: What Do These Terms Mean?“Affect” vs. “Effect”: Use The Correct Word Every TimeIt’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.Dictionary.com Unabridged See more. It is closely related to, and may be considered a type of, fête champêtre. Fête galante (French pronunciation: [fɛːt ɡalɑ̃t]) (courtship party) is a category of painting specially created by the French Academy in 1717 to describe Antoine Watteau's (1684–1721) variations on the theme of the fête champêtre, which featured figures in ball dress or masquerade costumes disporting themselves amorously in parkland settings. It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020! Overview. Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020a representation, in art, of elegantly dressed groups at play in a rural or parklike setting. Fête galante definition, fête champêtre. Fete galante Definition and background: A scene of an elegant, festive occasion in an open-air setting, depicting dancing, musicales, comedy, etc., it was introduced by Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) and became a specialty of French rococo art.