Jean-Antoine Watteau (October 10, 1684 - July 18, 1721) was a French Rococo painter. October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ... Events France under Louis XIV makes Truce of Ratisbon separately with the Empire and Spain. ... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... // Events Pope Innocent XIII becomes pope Johann Sebastian Bach composes the Brandenburg Concertos April 4 - Robert Walpole becomes the first prime minister of Britain September 10 - Treaty of Nystad is signed, bringing an end to the Great Northern War November 2 - Peter I is proclaimed Emperor of All the Russias... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Painting by Rembrandt self-portrait Detail from Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez, in which the painter portrayed himself at work For the computer graphics program, see Corel Painter. ...

Early life and training

Watteau was born in the Flemish town of Valenciennes, which had just been annexed by the French king Louis XIV. His father was a master tiler. Showing an early interest in painting, he was apprenticed to Jacques-Albert Gérin, a local painter. Having little to learn from Gérin, Watteau left for Paris in about 1702. There he found employment in a workshop at Pont Notre-Dame, making copies of popular genre paintings in the Flemish and Dutch tradition. Flanders (Dutch: Vlaanderen) has several main meanings: the social, political and cultural community of the Flemings, through its social and political organizations, its media, universities, ... ; some prefer to call this the Flemish community, other refers to this as the Flemish nation; a constituent governing institution of the federal Belgian... Valenciennes (Dutch: Valencijn, Latin: Valentianae) is a town and commune in northern France in the Nord département on the Escaut river. ... Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638 – September 1, 1715) ruled as King of France and of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death shortly prior to his seventy-seventh birthday. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur Tossed by the waves, she does not founder Coordinates : , Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) Administration Subdivisions 20 arrondissements Département Paris (75) Région ÃŽle-de-France Mayor Bertrand Delanoë (PS) City (commune) Characteristics Land Area 86. ... Events March 8 - William III died; Princess Anne Stuart becomes Queen Anne of England, Scotland and Ireland. ... Genre painting, also called genre scene or petit genre, attempts to depict aspects of everyday life, via portraits of ordinary people engaged in common activities. ...

The Embarkation for Cythera (Louvre version)

In 1703 he was employed as an assistant by the painter Claude Gillot. In his studio he became acquainted with the characters of the commedia dell'arte, a favorite subject of Gillot's that would become one of Watteau's lifelong passions. Afterward he moved to the workshop of Claude Audran III, an interior decorator, under whose influence he began to make drawings admired for their consummate elegance. Audran was the curator of the Palais du Luxembourg, where Watteau was able to see the magnificent series of canvases painted by Peter Paul Rubens for Queen Marie de Medici. The Flemish painter would become one of his major influences together with the Venetian masters he would later study in the collection of his patron and friend, the banker Pierre Crozat. Download high resolution version (1211x804, 179 KB)The Embarkation for Cythera, by Antoine Watteau, from the Web Gallery of Art This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (1211x804, 179 KB)The Embarkation for Cythera, by Antoine Watteau, from the Web Gallery of Art This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Events February 2 - Earthquake in Aquila, Italy February 4 - In Japan, the 47 samurai commit seppuku (ritual suicide) February 14 - Earthquake in Norcia, Italy April 21 - Company of Quenching of Fire (ie. ... Claude Gillot (1673-1722) was a French painter, best known as the master of Watteau and Lancret. ... Karel Dujardins set his closely-observed scene of a travelling troupes makeshift stage against idealized ruins in the Roman Campagna: dated 1657 (Louvre Museum) Commedia Dellarte (Italian: comedy of professional artists also interpreted as comedy of humors), also known as Extemporal Comedy, was a form of improvisational theater... Interior decoration is the art of decorating a room so it looks good, is easy to use, and functions well with the existing architecture. ... The Luxembourg Palace in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, north of the Luxembourg Garden, is where the French Senate meets. ... Rubens and Isabella Brant in the Honeysuckle Bower Alte Pinakothek Pieter Pauwel (Peter Paul) Rubens (June 28, 1577 – May 30, 1640) was the most popular and prolific Flemish and European painter of the 17th century. ... Marie de Medici (April 26, 1573 - July 3, 1642), born in Italy as Maria de Medici, was queen consort of France under the French name Marie de Médicis. ... Pierre Crozat (1661 - 1740), French art collector, was born at Toulouse, one of a family who were prominent French financiers and collectors. ...

Mature works

In 1709 Watteau tried to obtain the Prix de Rome and was rejected by the Academy. In 1712 he tried again and was considered so good that, instead of getting the one-year stay in Rome he was aiming for, he was accepted as a full member of the Academy. He took five years to deliver the required "reception piece," but it was one of his masterpieces: the Pilgrimage to Cythera, also called the Embarkation for Cythera. (Many commentators, however, note that it depicts a departure from the island of Cythera, the birthplace of Venus, thus symbolizing the brevity of love.) // Events January 12 - Two-month freezing period begins in France - The coast of the Atlantic and Seine River freeze, crops fail and at least 24. ... The Prix de Rome was a scholarship for art students. ... // Events Treaty of Aargau signed between Catholic and Protestants. ... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) coordinates: 41°54′N 12°29′E Time Zone: UTC+1 Administration Subdivisions 19 municipi Province Rome Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni ( The Union ) Characteristics Area 1,285 km² Population 2,547,677 (2005 estimate) Density 1983... Kythira, also seen as Kythera, Cythera or Tsirigo, is an island, one of the Ionian Islands. ... Statue of Venus in the British Museum. ...

Interestingly, while Watteau's paintings seem to epitomize the aristocratic elegance of the Régence (though he actually lived most of his short life under the oppressive climate of Louis XIV's later reign), he never had aristocratic patrons. His buyers were bourgeois such as bankers and dealers. Régence is the French word for (and root of the English word) regency (see that article). ... Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638 – September 1, 1715) ruled as King of France and of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death shortly prior to his seventy-seventh birthday. ... Generally, patronage is the act of supporting or favoring some person, group, or institution. ... bourgeoisie is basically a trem that meens middle class. ...

Although his mature paintings seem to be so many depictions of frivolous fêtes galantes, they in fact display a sober melancholy, a sense of the ultimate futility of life, that makes him, among 18th century painters, one of the closest to modern sensibilities. His many imitators, such as Nicolas Lancret and Jean-Baptiste Pater, borrowed his themes but could not capture his spirit. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Nicolas Lancret (January 22, 1690 - September 14, 1743), French painter, was born in Paris, and became a brilliant depicter of light comedy which reflected the tastes and manners of French society under the regent Orleans. ... Jean-Baptiste Pater: Die Freuden des Landlebens , 1730/35 Jean-Baptiste Pater (December 29, 1695-July 25, 1736) was a French rococo painter. ...

Watteau's commedia dell'arte player of Pierrot, ca 1718-19, traditionally identified as "Gilles" (Louvre)

Among his most famous paintings are Pierrot (long identified as "Gilles"), Fêtes venitiennes, Love in the Italian Theater, Love in the French Theater, "Voulez-vous triompher des belles?" and Mezzetin. J-A Watteaus Pierrot (Gilles), ca 1718-19; Louvre Museum Source: http://www. ... J-A Watteaus Pierrot (Gilles), ca 1718-19; Louvre Museum Source: http://www. ... Karel Dujardins set his closely-observed scene of a travelling troupes makeshift stage against idealized ruins in the Roman Campagna: dated 1657 (Louvre Museum) Commedia Dellarte (Italian: comedy of professional artists also interpreted as comedy of humors), also known as Extemporal Comedy, was a form of improvisational theater... Watteaus sad commedia dellarte player of Pierrot, ca 1718-19, traditionally identified as Gilles (Louvre) Pierrot is a stock character of pantomime. ... The main courtyard of the Louvre. ...

Watteau's final masterpiece exits the pastoral forest locale for a mundane urban set of encounters, the Shop-sign of Gersaint.[1] This painting has been described as Watteau's Las Meninas, in that the theme appears to be the promotion of art. The scene is an art gallery where the façade has magically vanished. Women in their finery peruse paintings for sale. It is perhaps a comment on the final commercial nature of the artistic enterprise. In many ways the aim of art is to represent a world no different from the world beyond the canvas. The gallery and street in this painting are also fused into one contiguous drama. Las Meninas (also known as The Maids of Honour), painted in 1656, is the most famous of the works by the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez. ...

Watteau alarmed his friends by a carelessness about his future and financial security, as if foreseeing he would not live for long. In 1720, becoming ill, he moved to England for a while, looking for a better climate but returning in worse health. He died in Nogent-sur-Marne in 1721 at the age of 37. // Events January 6 - The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble publishes its findings February 11 - Sweden and Prussia sign the (2nd Treaty of Stockholm) declaring peace. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi   - Water (%) Population... Nogent-sur-Marne is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. ... // Events Pope Innocent XIII becomes pope Johann Sebastian Bach composes the Brandenburg Concertos April 4 - Robert Walpole becomes the first prime minister of Britain September 10 - Treaty of Nystad is signed, bringing an end to the Great Northern War November 2 - Peter I is proclaimed Emperor of All the Russias...

The Watteau dress, a long, sacklike dress with loose pleats hanging from the shoulder at the back, similar to those worn by many of the women is his paintings, is named after him.

Critical assessment and legacy

If François Boucher, Fragonard, and other French Roccoco artists would later depict the unabashed frillery of aristocratic romantic pursuits, Watteau in a few masterpieces anticipates an art about art, the world of art as seen through the eyes of an artist. When not depicting Roccoco whimsicality, he depicts the conflict of art and the external world. His Pierrot or Gilles seems a confused actor who appears to have forgotten his lines; he has materialized into the fearful reality of existence, sporting as his only armor the pathetic clown costume. His influence on the arts (not only painting, but the decorative arts, costume, film, poetry, music)was more extensive than that of almost any other artist down to the present. A revived vogue for him began in England after the Napoleonic wars and was later encapsulated by the Goncourt brothers. In 1984 Watteau societies were created in Paris and London. Since 2000 a Watteau centre has been established at Valenciennes. Rinaldo and Armida gained Bouchers admission to the Académie royale François Boucher (1703 in Bordeaux – May 30, 1770) was a French painter, a proponent of Rococo taste, known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, decorative allegories representing the arts or pastoral occupations, and several... Jean-Honoré Fragonard (April 5, 1732 – August 22, 1806) was a French painter. ...

References

• Schneider, Pierre, The World of Watteau. Time-Life Books, 1967.
• Levey, Michael, Rococo to Revolution. Thames and Hudson, 1966.
• Roland Michel, Marianne, Watteau. Flammarion, 1984.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Category:Antoine Watteau

• Watteau paintings at the Web Gallery of Art

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