His painting Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera captures the frivolity and sensuousness of Rococo painting, but it also captures the stages and growing nature of love. To the right of the painting, there is a statue of Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
Full Answer
Why is pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera important?
Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684 – 1721) was the most influential French painter of the 18th century. His painting Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera captures the frivolity and sensuousness of Rococo painting, but it also captures the stages and growing nature of love.
What kind of painting is embarkation for Cythera?
How to Appreciate Paintings. A masterpiece of 18th century French painting, this work by the French Rococo painter Jean-Antoine Watteau, which is also known as The Embarkation for Cythera or Pilgrimage to the Island of Cythera, exists in three variants.
What does Watteau say about love in pilgrimage to Cythera?
The idea that love should inspire attentive, sparkling exchanges between the genders finds its echo in Watteau's Pilgrimage to Cythera. The painter shows nothing of the pleasures of the senses, and permits no more than fleeting or delicate contact between his figures. Lightness or Triviality?
Who painted the Berlin pilgrimage to Cythera?
Watteau probably painted the Berlin version of the Pilgrimage to Cythera for the collector Jean de Jullienne; the painting was certainly in the latter's collection in 1733, when he had an engraving made of it.
What style is the pilgrimage to the island of Cythera in?
Rococo romanceWatteau's style influenced French painters throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. His themes of courtship, falling in love, and love's triumph are magnificently fused together in Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera. This is a Watteau masterpiece. This is a Rococo romance.
Why was Pilgrimage to Cythera important?
The aristocracy was gaining more control and power within the art scene of the time. In art history, this art movement is called Rococo and Pilgrimage to Cythera was the catalyst for the movement.
What are the characteristics of the Rococo style of art?
French Rococo painting in general was characterized by easygoing, lighthearted treatments of mythological and courtship themes, rich and delicate brushwork, a relatively light tonal key, and sensuous colouring. Rococo sculpture was notable for its intimate scale, its naturalism, and its varied surface effects.
When was Pilgrimage to Cythera made?
1717The Embarkation for Cythera / CreatedAntoine Watteau, Pilgrimage to Cythera, 1717, oil on canvas, 4' 3" x 6' 4 1/2" (Louvre, Paris).
What does the word Rococo describe?
Definition of rococo (Entry 2 of 2) 1a : of or relating to an artistic style especially of the 18th century characterized by fanciful curved asymmetrical forms and elaborate ornamentation. b : of or relating to an 18th century musical style marked by light gay ornamentation and departure from thorough-bass and ...
What is Cythera known for?
In the ancient world, Cythera, one of the Greek islands, was thought to be the birthplace of Venus, goddess of love.
What was Rococo style influenced by?
Beginnings of Rococo. In painting Rococo was primarily influenced by the Venetian School's use of color, erotic subjects, and Arcadian landscapes, while the School of Fontainebleau was foundational to Rococo interior design.
What was the major emphasis of Rococo art?
First emerging in the decorative arts, the rococo emphasized pastel colors, sinuous curves, and patterns based on flowers, vines, and shells.
What are the key elements of the Rococo?
Rococo features exuberant decoration, with an abundance of curves, counter-curves, undulations and elements modeled on nature. The exteriors of Rococo buildings are often simple, while the interiors are entirely dominated by their ornament. The style was highly theatrical, designed to impress and awe at first sight.
When was the Rococo period?
Rococo flourished in English design between 1740 and 1770. It first appeared in England in silver and engravings of ornament in the 1730s, with immigrant artists and craftspeople, including Huguenot refugees from France, such as Paul de Lamerie, playing a key role in its dissemination.
Who painted the pilgrimage on the Isle of Cythera?
Jean-Antoine WatteauThe Embarkation for Cythera / ArtistJean-Antoine Watteau was a French painter and draughtsman whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement, as seen in the tradition of Correggio and Rubens. He revitalized the waning Baroque style, shifting it to the less severe, more naturalistic, less formally classical, Rococo. Wikipedia
Who is the artist most closely associated with Parisian Rococo?
The artist most closely associated today with Parisian Rococo painting is Francois Boucher (1703-1770), who never met Watteau.
What does the Embarkation for Cythera represent?
'The Embarkation for Cythera' depicts what is known as a "fête gallant", an elaborate celebration typically enjoyed by France's aristocracy during the reign of Louis XV. The elite would venture to the countryside in order to indulge in flirtatious behavior and party in an atmosphere of lust and luxury.
Who painted the pilgrimage on the Isle of Cythera?
Jean-Antoine WatteauThe Embarkation for Cythera / ArtistJean-Antoine Watteau was a French painter and draughtsman whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement, as seen in the tradition of Correggio and Rubens. He revitalized the waning Baroque style, shifting it to the less severe, more naturalistic, less formally classical, Rococo. Wikipedia
Why is Honore Daumier important?
Dubbed "the greatest 19th-century caricaturist" and "Moliere with a crayon", Honore Daumier was both admired and persecuted during his lifetime for his social and political cartoons, and remains better known for his graphic art - mainly drawing and lithography - rather than his realist painting.
Why is Fede Galizia important?
Fede Galizia, better known as Galizia, (c. 1578 – c. 1630) was an Italian Renaissance painter of still-lifes, portraits, and religious pictures. She is especially noted as a painter of still-lifes of fruit, a genre in which she was one of the earliest practitioners in European art.
Who painted the Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera?
Painting of the Week: Jean-Antoine Watteau, Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera
Who was Watteau in the Isle of Cythera?
Jean-Antoine Watteau, Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera, 1717, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Detail. To the further left is the third and final couple of the immediate foreground. In many people’s opinions they are the most attractive couple of the three.
What was Watteau's piece of art?
It was his morceau de réception, or entry piece , to gain admission to the prestigious institution. The painting caused quite a stir with its vibrant colours, bold brushstrokes, and hazy atmosphere.
Where did Watteau go on his pilgrimage?
Jean-Antoine Watteau, Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera
What was Watteau's style?
His use of bold brushstrokes was daring. Watteau’s style influenced French painters throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. His themes of courtship, falling in love, and love’s triumph are magnificently fused together in Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera.
Who was the most influential French painter of the 18th century?
Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684 – 1721) was the most influential French painter of the 18th century. His painting Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera captures the frivolity and sensuousness of Rococo painting, but it also captures the stages and growing nature of love. Let us explore a Watteau masterpiece. Let us explore a Rococo romance.
Where is Aphrodite in the painting?
Aphrodite…. Jean-Antoine Watteau, Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera, 1717, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Detail. The background to these flirtatious aristocrats is the sacred Greek island of Cythera where Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, was allegedly born. A statue of the goddess stands on the right side of the painting overlooking all who visit her ...
What is a Rococo?
Rococo. A beginner's guide to the Age of Enlightenment. A beginner's guide to Rococo art. The Formation of a French School: the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. Antoine Watteau, Pilgrimage to Cythera. This is the currently selected item.
Is Watteau a portrait?
It is not a portrait, a classical scene from mythology or history, or a religious painting. While this led later painters to scoff at Watteau (Ingres and David, for example, probably wouldn't have appreciated this), the down shift in subject opened the way for more experiments in style and composition.