Jean-Antoine Watteau - part 5

Self portrait

The son of a roof tiler, Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) showed a penchant for drawing and painting early in life. At eighteen he was apprenticed to a painter in his native town of Valenciennes. Soon after, with little money and few possessions, he made his way to Paris, where he made a living by copying the works of Titian and Paolo Veronese. There he entered the studio of Claude Audran III, the most renowned decorator in Paris, and met Claude Gillot, a decorator of theatrical scenery. The theatrical qualities of Watteau's paintings and drawings--their artificial illumination, costumes, and painted backdrops--reflect Gillot's influence. Watteau's subjects, often including figures from the commedia dell'arte, reflect his constant observation of the theater and the studies he often drew during performances.

Watteau invented a new type of painting, the fête galante. These large scenes of well-to-do men and women enjoying themselves outdoors allowed him to showcase his talent for conveying the delights and enchantments of nature and led to repeat commissions from such connoisseurs as Pierre Crozat. For years after his death, his compositions remained widely known in Europe through the circulation of engravings and drawings.

J.Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Note: Dates were not found for the remainder of images in this series. 

This is part 5 of a 5-part series on the works of Jean-Antoine Watteau:

n.d. A nude woman sitting on a chaise-longue
red and black chalks; on bluish-grey paper 22.5 x 25.4 cm
© The Trustees of the British Museum, London

n.d. A scene from the Commedia dell'Arte
red chalk, graphite, heightened with white chalk, touches of black chalk and grey wash 16 x 14.3 cm

n.d. A seated young woman, in a loose robe, her eyes downcast
black and red chalk counter-proof, reworked by the artist
23.4 x 18.6 cm

n.d. A study of two men playing the guitar
red chalk on paper 15.1 x 22 cm

n.d. Actor standing, facing, head in three-quarter view
sanguine on paper  13.2 x 7.3 cm
Musée du Louvre, Paris

n.d. Allegory of Spring, or the young gardeners
red chalk on buff laid paper, laid down on white laid paper
15.7 x 21.6 cm
Art Institute of Chicago, IL

n.d. An officer seated by a tree
red chalk on paper 10.2 x 7 cm

n.d. Figures de la Mode:

Costume Plate
etching on paper 24.7 x 18.1 cm

Costume Plate
etching on paper(size not given)

Costume Plate
etching on paper (size not given)

Costume Plate
etching on paper 17.8 x 24.5 cm

Costume Plate
etching on paper 23.5 x 17.7 cm

Costume Plate
etching on paper 17.7 x 24.7 cm

Costume Plate
etching on paper 24.7 x 17.7 cm

Costume Plate
etching on paper 24.7 x 17.7 cm

Costume Plate
etching on paper 13.6 x 18.7 cm

Costume Plate
etching on paper 24.7 x 18.1 cm

Costume Plate
etching on paper 19 x 13 cm

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n.d. Frederick the Wise Elector of Saxony
engraving on laid paper 14.8 x 9.3 cm
The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA

n.d. Half-nude woman seated on a chaise-longue
red and black chalks on paper 34.1 x 22.1 cm
© The Trustees of the British Museum, London

n.d. Head of a young woman
black and red chalk with touches of white heightening 6.9 x 6 cm

n.d. Heads of two bearded old men
(after Peter Paul Rubens)
red and black chalk on light tan antique laid paper 16.5 x 21.5 cm
Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, MA

n.d. Lot and his daughters
red chalk, red wash 17.4 x 20.5 cm
© The Trustees of the British Museum, London

n.d. "Viosseu" or Chinese musician
oil on canvas 23.4 x 18.2 cm

n.d. Chinese woman of Kouei Tchéou
oil on canvas 23.4 x 18.2 cm

n.d. Pierrot mask, little girls bust view, draped man and
woman's face
sanguine on grey-beige paper; heightened with white 27.1 x 40 cm
Musée du Louvre, Paris

n.d. Seated guitarist
red chalk on laid paper 7.2 x 10.9 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

n.d. Sheet of figure studies
red and black chalk on paper 15.8 x 20 cm

n.d. Studies of a woman standing
red and black chalk on paper 16.5 x 22.5 cm
© The Trustees of the British Museum, London

n.d. Study of a girl seated
(attributed to Watteau)
 red and black chalks, heightened with white, on buff paper
36.7 x 26.5 cm
© The Trustees of the British Museum, London

n.d. Study of a standing nan in a cape and beret
red, black and white chalk 28.3 x 17.9 cm

n.d. Study of the head of a young man
two shades of red chalk on paper 6.9 x 6.1 cm

n.d. Summer amenities
engraving and etching 4.4 x 3.3 cm
Louvre, Paris

n.d. The bust of a young man looking down, wearing a tricorn hat
red chalk on paper 12.5 x 16.7 cm

n.d. The deposition, after Leandro Bassano
black, red and white chalk, with (later) touches of brown ink on light brown paper
(size not given)

n.d. The Union of Music and Comedy
oil on canvas 65 x 54.2 cm

n.d. Treetops
black and red chalks with brown wash on laid paper 7.2 x 10.9 cm
 National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

n.d. View of a church or convent
(attributed to Watteau)
sanguine on paper 12.7 x 22.4 cm
Louvre Museum Department of Graphic Arts, Paris

n.d. Woman sitting on the edge of an armchair, embroidering
red chalk on paper 21.7 x 17.8 cm

n.d. Young man turned three-quarters to the right
red and black chalk and graphite on paper 18.4 x 15.4 cm