Artwork Page for Antoine Watteau

Details / Information for Antoine Watteau

Antoine Watteau

c. 1727

François Boucher

(French, 1703–1770)

after Jean-Antoine Watteau

(French, 1684–1721)
Culture
France, 18th century
Medium
etching and engraving
Measurements
Sheet: 37.3 x 26.4 cm (14 11/16 x 10 3/8 in.); Platemark: 35.1 x 24.2 cm (13 13/16 x 9 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of P. & D. Colnaghi Co. 1925.1217
Catalogue raisonné
Inventaire du Fonds Français 65
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

This etching served as the frontispiece for Jean de Jullienne’s The Works of Antoine Watteau (L’Oeuvre d’Antoine Watteau). Early in his career, Boucher reproduced more than 100 etchings of Watteau’s works for the publication, learning to emulate his elegant draftsmanship. This had a lasting effect on the young artist, as is evident in a comparison of Boucher’s Andromeda with Watteau’s The Clothes Are Italian, both on view nearby. The tribute to Watteau inscribed below the portrait translates: Watteau, adorned by Nature with happy talents,Was very grateful for the gifts she gave him:Never has another hand painted her more beautifully,Nor been known to display her with features so gallant.
A vertically oriented etching and engraving depicts a portrait of a man with light skin tone turned slightly left and looking toward us. He wears a long, curly wig and a fur-lined coat. His right hand rests on a drawing board while his left holds a stylus. Fine black hatched lines shade the figure. A rectangular panel below contains four lines of cursive French script, framed within a simple border.

Antoine Watteau

c. 1727

François Boucher, Jean-Antoine Watteau

(French, 1703–1770), (French, 1684–1721)
France, 18th century

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork