Antoine Watteau

Paper Summary:

In "Two Studies of the Head and Shoulders of a Little Girl" (Pioch), some of the simplistic yet profound art Jean-Antoine Watteau has become renowned for is illustrated. The medium is red, black and white chalks on buff paper, which creates an authentic atmosphere of warmth and even affection. The presence of red is often a profound element in both the background and foreground of Watteau's art and is almost never missing as a rococo element of life and design. This paper discusses the use of chalk as a medium. It also discusses the natural materials used in painting and drawing in the eighteenth century that pervade Watteau's works.

From the Paper:

"While this is certainly true, it appears that here Watteau devoted a great deal of detail and imagination to create the lovely expression on this child's face and the almost carefree and innocent positioning of her body and expression from two angles. However, a quick perusal of the artists subsequent works such as Pilgrimage to Cythera, 1717; Les Charmes de la vie, The Delights of Life-1718; Gilles, 1718; and Le Faux pas, The Misstep -1719 (Harden), finds that there are no children to be seen, only adults. However, if you look at the faces of the female figures you can see shades of this drawing in their expressions and their attitudes. By using this study of a young face unspoiled by work or drudgery or the anxieties of life, Watteau is able to capture an innocent and natural beauty and place this in the faces and positions of these adult women. This adds to the natural order of play and zest in his work without invoking the baser sensual elements of lust and desire."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Buser, T. Experiencing art around us. Australia; Belmont, Calif.: Thomson/Wadsworth.
• Cowart, Georgia. "Watteau's Pilgrimage to Cythera and the Subversive Utopia of the Opera-Ballet." The Art Bulletin 83.3 (2001): 461+.
• Harden , Mark . "Jean-Atoine Watteau." The Archive. 2005. 13 Nov 2007 <http://www.artchive.com/artchive/W/watteau.html#images> .
• Pioch, Nicolas . "Watteau, Jean-Antoine ." Web Museum. 14 October 2002. Ibiblio. 13 Nov 2007 <http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/watteau/>.

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