JEAN-BAPTISTE LE PRINCE - The Colin-Maillard game - Lot 62

JEAN-BAPTISTE LE PRINCE - The Colin-Maillard game JEAN BAPTISTE LE PRINCE (1734-1781) The Game of Colin-Maillard Pen and black ink, gray wash 13 x 18.5 cm Very popular in the XVIIIᵉ century, both in aristocratic salons and at village fêtes, the game of colin-maillard was also known as the "blind man's game". It was often organized indoors, to the sound of the harpsichord or violin, with each player attempting to catch, blindfolded, one of his partners. Pictorial representations by Watteau and Lancret bear witness to its success and gallant nature: the game was used as a pretext for physical proximity and flirtation. Among the nobility, the game was sometimes accompanied by quips and mild challenges, transforming it into a refined opportunity for verbal jousting. Beyond simple amusement, colin-maillard also conveys a symbolism of trust: giving up sight to better experience sensations and voices. At the end of the evening, the blindfold is often kept as a souvenir or talisman: a token of a successful party and a shared light-hearted daring.