Existing comment:
Jean-Antoine Watteau
The Gazer (Le Lorgneur), ca 1716
Jean-Antoine Watteau created a revolution in art at the beginning of the 18th century with the kind of inventive depiction of modern life seen in this small painting. In both his choice of subjects and his very sophisticated and artificial style, Watteau seemed to challenge centuries-old beliefs that for art to be effective it needed to represent "important" subjects (religion, history, or literature) in a suitably lofty style. Instead, Watteau explored the nuances and complexities of the lives of ordinary (albeit aristocratic and charming) people of his day. He focused on small sentimental moments in the existence of his subjects, rendering them in a manner that was intimate and gentle. For many, Watteau was the inventor of a way of both observing contemporary life and painting it with soft brushstrokes and light colors that presaged the achievement of the Impressionists over a century later. |