French Rococo Painter
Watteau elevated to visual poetry the already lofty art of the Rococo period with his oil scenes of courtly love and elegant society festivities. His work is characterized by having many layers of (mostly transparent) colors in an array of pleasant tones. The happy feel of his paintings made for a poignant contrast to his personal life, which was miserably lonely and punctuated by frequent illness. Watteau's output was terminated by his early death.
Important Works:
Gilles and his Family, 1716
Embarkation for Cythera, 1717-19
Mezzetin, 1717-19
L'Enseigne de Gersaint, 1720
Birth: (Baptism) October 10, 1684, Valenciennes, France
Death: July 18, 1721, Nogent-sur-Marne, France
Jean-Antoine Watteau and his paintings in Wikipedia
Jean-Antoine Watteau and his art in WebMuseum
