An anonymous 15th-century Flemish artist painted an intriguing painting showing elegant Burgundian nobles socialising in a splendid garden. The painting, Jardin d’amour à la cour Phillippe III le Bon, is shrouded in mystery. The original work has been lost. There are, however, two reproductions. Neither reproduction has been attributed to a specific artist.

Scholars are undecided about the setting of the narrative, but many agree that the scene presents a festivity at the Château d’Hesdin, during the era of Philip the Good (1396–1467), Duke of Burgundy. In the foreground distinguished noble men and women, all rendered as slender, elongated figures, engage in conversation or interact with each other. All are attired in exquisitely crafted white garments, except for the court jester, who wears a red outfit. The upper layers of the painting are filled with a fantastical structure on poles (perhaps a medieval folly?), a hunting scene, and a local village, all set against an illusionary landscape. The activities of the nobles, the architecture, and the curious backdrop invite continual discussion. However, I will focus my attention on the genteel dancing couples.

It is rather difficult to identify dancers in this assembly of homogeneous, aristocratic figures. A closer look reveals that, whereas the majority of the figures maintain a regal, placid demeanour, there are five meandering couples at the lower left of the canvas. If we compare their dance movements to Dürer’s dancing couple or Bruegel the Elder’s dancers, these figures appear almost stationary. They neither turn, twist, nor jump, and show relatively little momentum. Instead, they move in a dignified fashion, their torsos held upright. Undoubtedly, the artist has illustrated the basse-danse, a fashionable dance practised at the Burgundian court. Characteristic movements of the basse-danse (lit. low dance) include forward and cross steps, gliding movements, and gentle sways, completed with a reverence.

The nobles dancing in this festive painting perform the basse-danse in the so-called Jardin d’Amour. The Garden of Love is a medieval concept associated with the cherished literary and social notion, The Courts of Love. Artists swiftly embraced the theme. The garden—be it enclosed, landscaped, or Baroque—offered artists an ideal setting to visualise the theme of unattainable love and to portray nobles in celebration, embrace, and dance. In the illuminated manuscript Roman de la Rose,for instance, the nobles dance a carole in an enclosed garden.

Hieronymus Francken I (1540–1610), an influential artist in the Francken dynasty, served as court painter at the French court. He worked for several French monarchs, including Catherine de Medici, during whose era Le Ballet Comique de La Reine (1581), acknowledged as the first ballet, was staged. In his role as court painter, Hieronymus Francken I painted portraits, battle scenes, and elegant groups of courtiers.

Courtiers Strolling in a Garden—likely not the title given by the artist—is more than just strolling courtiers. The enclosed garden directs the viewer toward the distant horizon. In the elongated garden, designed with geometrical precision, couples wander as I imagine they would in a medieval garden of love. Notwithstanding, it is the jolly dancing courtier who dominates the work. His sprightly movements attract notice. His partner obviously enjoys his capers. The response of the nearby nobleman and the startled reaction of the dogs suggest that the nobleman’s lively dance is totally spontaneous. Is he improvising or executing a formal court dance? Identifying a dance style from a two-dimensional plane is a challenge; yet, the esteemed gentleman exhibits both vigour and dance skills, which could indicate that he is dancing a galliard.

The Flemish Baroque artist Sebastiaen Vrancx (1573–1647), acclaimed for his battle scenes, was a versatile artist. Besides his battle scenes and extensive work as a draftsman, he painted village scenes, opulent banquets, and elegant figures in illustrious settings. The next work, Garden Landscape with Courtly Figures, is an early piece, possibly painted around 1605-10.

If I did not know better, I would say that this painting depicts a theatrical performance; the front figures appear to perform on a stage embellished with an elaborate landscape as a backdrop. My imagination, of course. The artwork illustrates courtly figures amusing themselves. Vrancx playfully moulds the elements of size, line, and colour. The life-size, realistic figures, horizontally arranged across the foreground, tower over the garden and grounds. The background, which could be likened to a long vertical gallery, draws the viewer’s focus toward a Baroque garden that leads to a classical temple. A fountain, a typical requisite for a garden of love, and a pair of peacocks add symbolic nuances. The background, a blend of green, yellow, and blue presented under a gentle light, conveys a serene impression. This serenity does not apply to the foreground. The shades—distinctive tones of red, brown, and yellow—shine radiantly beneath the sunlight.

Without doing an injustice to the delightful frolicking boy and the diligent servant, I find the dancers to be the most prominent figures. They are not only full-length figures illuminated by the spotlight, but they are also the sole ‘moving’ personages in the composition. The elegant lady gathers her skirt slightly, enabling her to step and glide effortlessly. She, the embodiment of calmness, lowers her gaze demurely. Her partner, in contrast, is lively. Have you noticed how flippantly he flings his leg into the air? And notably, with a touch of ornate exaggeration,the sophisticated gentleman flexes his wrists, in order to draw attention to his elevated hands.

The dancers in Vrancx’s painting may appear familiar. Not surprisingly, Vrancx collaborated with various artists, including David Vinckboons. You may like to compare the work of the artistic peers. In two works by Vinckboons, Outdoor Merry Company and Elegant Company in an Ornamental Garden, the dancers share many of the same stylistic elements as the dancing couple in Garden Landscape with Courtly Figures.

Louis de Caullery (c. 1580–1621), a contemporary of Sebastian Vrancx, created elegant indoor banquets and outdoor garden parties set in exquisitely designed architectural settings where nobility strolled or relaxed in a lavish environment. The lengthy title Elegantly Dressed Figures Promenading in a Garden and Riding in Gondolas Serenaded by Musicians is sufficiently descriptive and requires no additional explanation apart from noting that Caullery’s image draws inspiration from the popular theme: the garden of love. Marble statues of the mythical goddess Venus embellish the corners and entrances of the hedges. All the statues are nude and alluring, heightening the sensual atmosphere of the composition.

The congenial ambiance is further enhanced by a group of musicians. They are partially concealed behind a captivating statue of the Roman goddess of love. Most of the nobles are conversing, promenading, or participating in a game of sport; however, while not instantly obvious, there is definitely a group of dancers in the foreground. These nobles, as one would expect in an aristocratic dance, stand tall, and their refined movements are unhurried. They, like all the other figures, disclose the characteristic De Caullery style. The women distinguish themselves by their elongated necks, small oval heads, elevated hairstyles, and highly fashionable attire. Typically, all the figures are slender, lack facial individuality, and are diminutive compared to their surroundings. De Caullery’s distinctive palatial paintings displayed none of the spontaneity present in the work of his contemporaries, the Flemish genre painters. Regardless, his work was in high demand.

You may wonder how the idyllic rustic scene, below, fits into this post about dancers in palatial gardens. The scene, painted by Sebastiaen Vrancx, represents an allegory of spring in a series illustrating the four seasons. In the foreground, peasants are busy doing their daily chores. A maiden is milking a cow, and a lad wearing a flower crown is feeding the goats and fowls. There is also a lad playing the flute. Yet, the presence of a flower crown, a flute, and goats makes me slightly apprehensive. A reference to Pan, perhaps?

Vrancx excels in aerial perspective. He veils the vast background in a haze, almost concealing the far-off landscape. On the right side, however, he has subtly raised the mist to reveal a majestic manor. This Renaissance building is partially concealed by two double rows of trees, which open onto a formal garden enhanced with a fountain and statue of Venus. All these features, together with the elegant couple sailing in the gondola, lead to the refined couple dancing on the terrace.

The dancers serve as background figures. They do not compete, in either size or colour, with the peasant girl or, for that matter, the cow. But the dancers are an integral part of the artwork. You need only to zoom in on the figures to discover how delicately Vrancx has portrayed them. The lady is poised and demure; her partner is nimble and spirited. These graceful dancers are a metaphor with which Vrancx juxtaposes the affluence and artificiality of the elite with the simple nature of the humble country folk.

This small selection of artwork highlights how aristocratic dancers inspired artists throughout the Renaissance and the Baroque. But the story does not end there. Images of the affluent society dancing in magnificent gardens continued into the following centuries. The focus, however, shifted from the elite to the pleasure-seeking bourgeoisie. A new genre, the Merry Company, gained tremendous popularity.

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