Surprised, or Infidelity Found Out

In the pictureBeneath a large tree, a woman in a yellow dress sits with a man, while from the right a woman in a black dress with white sleeves approaches with her maid. Between them two winged cupids run about holding a bow and a torch, and at the far right is a jester in motley. The sky is blue with floating clouds.

BackgroundAs the title says, it shows the moment an illicit meeting is discovered, borrowing the form of the "fête galante" made fashionable by Watteau and his followers. The cupids and the jester are devices signaling that this is a theatrical, staged scene, and who the woman in black is remains up to the viewer's interpretation. Dietrich moved freely among the styles of different countries in this way, keeping collectors satisfied.

Puzzle tipThe picture divides into yellow dress, black dress, blue sky and green trees, so sorting by color is easy. Fit the figures' faces and the jester's multicolored pieces first, and fill in the tree greens starting from the pieces that border the sky. It is close to square, so it can be enjoyed at up to 300 pieces.