The Pranksters (Les Espiègles)

Charles-Melchior Descourtis

Cleveland Museum of Art

The image depicts a group of four people in a natural outdoor setting. Two people are in the foreground sitting on a rock in shallow water, while two people are in the background climbing on rocks. The two people in the foreground are nude except for cloth wrapped around their lower bodies. The person on the left sits leaning to their right with their left elbow on their knee and their head on their left hand. The person on the right sits facing the left with long blonde hair and holds a piece of paper in their left hand. In the background to the left, a person wearing a blue jacket and blonde hair hangs from a rope while another person in a pink jacket and black hat pulls on the rope. A waterfall and several large rocks are visible behind them. The scene is framed by trees and foliage. At the bottom center of the image is cursive text that reads "Les Espiègles".