Antoine Bateau

About the Artist

Antoine Watteau was born in Valenciennes, France in 1684 and died in 1721, a painter of the Rococo era. Working initially in the provinces, he moved to Paris, where he honed his style by studying the naturalism of Dutch and Flemish painters. His work is marked by light brushwork and elegant figure depiction, and he originated the fête galante genre, taking Italian comedy and courtly life as subjects. He was one of the first painters to depict the fête galante in the Rococo style, skillfully rendering figures amid landscapes of joy and beauty. Key works include 'The Judgment of Paris' and 'Italian Comedians.'