The Four Times of Day: Midday

This is the second in a series of four paintings - 'Morning', 'Midday', 'Afternoon' and 'Evening' - known also as Les Heures du Jour (The Hours of the Day).

Three women and a man who have been picking flowers in a garden have stopped by a sundial, inscribed 'XII'. Two of the figures are checking their watches. Lighthearted pursuits were typically shown in the genre scenes of artists like Watteau, Pater and Lancret.