Painted with oils on canvas by Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) in the latter-half of his career, The Dance is a lighthearted scene with a pretty young lady dancing to flute music played by a young boy as two other children look on.
The lady’s bright green and red dress ensure that she is the focal point of the painting. But, her discarded accoutrements, a sleeping dog, trees and a basket of flowers keep the painting interesting and prevents it from simply being a portrait of the lovely young woman.