Interior of a Barn with a Family of Coopers

François Boucher

about 1763–1766

Black and white chalk, on light tan paper

J. Paul Getty Museum

A family is gathered inside a barn with wooden beams and barrels. A ladder leans against the ceiling, and tools are visible. A family is gathered inside a barn with wooden beams and barrels. A ladder leans against the ceiling, and tools are visible. In a rustic barn interior, François Boucher created an idyllic scene of country life. In the foreground, a man repairs barrels while a mother and child rest in the straw by his side. As the sun streams in through the open doorway and down through the loft at the rear of the building, long fingers of light create patterns on the dark floor. The backlighting gives the scene an added sense of serenity, while throwing the figures at the front into deeper shadow. On a trip to Holland from around 1763 to 1766, Bouch