Italian Comedians By Watteau, National Gallery Of Art

Description: Italian Comedians By Jean-Antoine Watteau, National Gallery Of Art - Washington, DC Postcard Jean-Antoine Watteau’s The Italian Comedians presents fifteen figures arranged on stone steps and dressed in costumes typical of the commedia dell'arte theater. A troupe of actors gathers on stage to take a bow. They are dressed as stock characters from the commedia dell’arte, a form of slapstick theater popular in 18th-century France. All of the performers continue to play their parts, interacting and gesturing expressively — except Pierrot, the lovesick clown at the center. Dressed in shimmering white satin, he stands still, smiling slightly, his eyes unfocused. We can’t read his expression. An actor refusing to act, he is a mystery. Pierrot was a naive clown whose declarations of love were rejected by Flaminia, the heroine, placed to his left. It was painted in England for Richard Mead, a famous physician who was a Francophile with a great art collection. Watteau was consulting him for tuberculosis — sadly, to no avail: The artist died, at 36, the following summer. On view at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684 – 1721) 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. Watteau is credited with inventing the genre of fêtes galantes, scenes of bucolic and idyllic charm, suffused with a theatrical air. Some of his best known subjects were drawn from the world of Italian comedy and ballet. Please review the photos carefully for condition and detail. Normal wear associated with an old postcard have creases, corner bumps, scratches, ink on the front etc.

Price: 4.99 USD

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

End Time: 2025-01-02T19:44:05.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0.97 USD