The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

Columbine and Harlequin

Columbine and Harlequin

Date unknown
(French, 1690–1762)
(French, 1684–1721)
Platemark: 51.6 x 32 cm (20 5/16 x 12 5/8 in.)
Catalogue raisonné: Portalis & Beraldi III, part I.211
Location: not on view

Description

Arabesques (decorations with curves and tendrils inspired by plant forms) were in vogue in 18th-century France. Watteau (1684-1721) produced arabesques for the ornamentation of walls, paneling, furniture, and ceilings. He depicted popular motifs, such as the elegant courtship in an idyllic outdoor setting pictured in The Gallant, shown nearby, or as in Columbine and Harlequin, two characters from productions of the Commedia dell'arte, an Italian comic theater. Watteau launched a trend for the exotic scenes found on imported Chinese porcelains and lacquer ware about 1707. The parasol in The Gallant, and the Asian face that smiles down from the top of Columbine and Harlequin, are examples of chinoiserie, the playful imitation of Chinese art.
  • Inventive Impressions: 18th- and 19-Century French Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26-October 28, 2001).
    The Cleveland Museum of Art; 8/26/01-10/28/01. "Inventive Impressions: 18th- and 19th-Century French Prints".
    French Prints and Drawings in the Age of the Bourbons, 1589-1792. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 2-May 16, 1982).
    The Print Club of Cleveland, 1919 - 1969: Fifty Years in Review. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (January 14-March 31, 1970).
    Decorative Style. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 8, 1961-January 7, 1962).
    The Artist and the Theater. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 5-September 12, 1960).
    40th Anniversary Exhibition of the Print Club of Cleveland. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (December 3, 1959-January 20, 1960).
    Department of Prints and Drawings Opening Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (March 3, 1958-October 11, 1959).
  • {{cite web|title=Columbine and Harlequin|url=false|author=Jean Moyreau, Jean Antoine Watteau|year=null|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1927.327