Jean-Antoine Watteau Pastoral Gallery (Fete Galante) - Essay Sample

Introduction

The poetic terminology Fete Galante represents an era marked by significant artist paintings and blossom drawings in the early 18th century (1715-1723). Watteau was a renowned French painter whose interest was solely based on colors (Collins, 2005). The enchanting painting works of Jean-Antoine marked the turning point for the development of French art in the 18th century. The comedian and other masked performers have frequently incorporated recurring themes and symbols in their artwork which reflected Watteau ancient career as a designer (Collins, 2005). The reception and how Antoine's work was perceived and received was so successful that eventually made him become a specialist in fetes galantes genre which was centrally dictated his figures in the pastoral setting. Moreover, Watteau adopted a graceful and intensive Rococo style; during the Rocco period that mostly existed with a central point of realism and theatrical air that has been acquired through a reflective acquaintance of the Flemish school (Collins, 2005). Watteau sheds light on the true meaning of nature and reveals that the concept of romanticism truly depicts a return of nature and landscape which he exemplifies by stressing on plain air painting aided by the goodness of humanity, and a strong belief in one's emotion and sense.

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Watteau's view of nature as an incorporation of the concept of romanticism involving plain air painted has been embodied in the ideal values of Rococo. The view of nature and landscape as romantic has been incorporated in the ideals of Rococo such as soft colors, painting, design, decoration and curvy lines besides depicting a scene of the love for nature and landscape (Conroy, Tomlinson and Kars, 1983). Fetes Galantes is an ideal representation of a style that came to be popular after his plain air painting. Watteau treatment of landscape and nature involves romanticism (Conroy, Tomlinson and Kars, 1983). This can be evident from his paintings and works that are impressing and invokes admiration from many, moreover, the incorporation of image composition of nature in his work compliments since they seem to reveal lights operate, rather than just a fairy tale of how nature is (Conroy, Tomlinson and Kars, 1983). This has been incorporated easily in the values of Rococo since; the artist was influenced by the nature scenes in his daily life interactions. Besides, he is best known for the depiction of elegant dressing style in his works in line with soft colors and curvy lines which is a clear representation of the Rococo ideals particularly decoration (Conroy, Tomlinson and Kars, 1983).

Indeed the ambiguity of Antoine's work is the reason behind his compelling treatment of nature. However, this must be aided by the goodness of humanity and a strong belief in one's emotion and sense which makes Antoine frequently apply coherent means of demonstration (Conroy, Tomlinson and Kars, 1983). The true picture of nature is associated with romanticism concept associated with design and painting aimed at creating a good atmosphere for everyone to live on. Ideally, this particular perception suggests that the author is deliberately cherishing the concept of high art that is in line with Rococo values which eventually makes nature and landscape to be a romantic place for everyone (Conroy, Tomlinson and Kars, 1983).

Notably, most of the ideals of Rococo are associated with elegance, lightness and natural kinds of various ornamentation which have been used by Antoine in his description of nature as being a wonderful place. For instance, in his description of the landscape, Watteau uses the statue as a plain and a generic statue to demonstrate an angel. Importantly, instead of using the statue to elevate the divine in the pictorial representation of is artist work; Antoine reduces it to the point mundane, as a rather dour looking statue in the corner of the composition (Conroy, Tomlinson and Kars, 1983). This move reveals how the author is trying to be creative by employing techniques artistically together with the values of Rococo to show the true treatment of nature and landscape as a romantic place (Cullagh and Watteau, 1976).

Moreover, the idea of conversation formed an integral part of Watteau's facets and for sure the characters that appear in Fetes Galantes is no doubt incorporates this concept making it remain as one of the prevalent features that depict nature (Cullagh and Watteau, 1976). Rococo ideals also involved rococo styles, and this style involves the decoration and counter curves that are based on the "c" and "s" shapes as well as other forms of natural shapes that depict the landscape. All the decoration, painting and incorporation of Rococo styles are aimed at making nature a romantic place, and therefore this should be influenced by people's emotions and sense (Cullagh and Watteau, 1976).

In his treatment that nature and landscape needs to be a wonderful place, Watteau goes on to capture the rhythms of various conversation and the ambiguity of such conversation to create a mythical perception that nature deserves nothing else than being a comfortable place that can accommodate everybody (Cullagh and Watteau, 1976). This background conversation creates high low precise representative and conceptual framework associated with few activities of aristocratic work which makes nature a suitable place. Watteau also used asymmetric design which is also one of the Rococo ideals to reveal how light pastels and ivory and gold are the most used colors by the Rococo decorators to enhance the scene of the landscape to make it a romantic place admired by everyone and influenced by various emotions and sensations (Cullagh and Watteau, 1976).

Notably, some of the Ideal Rococo works are the salon de Monsieur le Prince which was completed in 1722 which was decorated by Jean Aubert. This style was demonstrated in most decorative form hence revealing how nature and landscape are two things that are valuable (Jones, 1982). The asymmetrical forms and various rocaille ornaments were artistically incorporated during the Rococo period in most of the French furniture. This period was also characterized by various naturalistic artist works that defined nature and landscape. Watteau had a strong vision of transforming the society of becoming a wonderful place and hence making him pay a visit to various homage and incorporates the information acquired in his artistic work through the use of modern art concepts (Jones, 1982). Therefore his work could be viewed as that revealing a lot of impression and modernistic concepts. All this has been intrigued to demonstrate how nature is a beautiful place.

In addition, the decoration aspects of Fetes Galantes can be viewed as a real prototype of the romanticism of the landscape incorporated by the modernistic act and secularism concepts that were to make a society a better place for everyone not forgetting that, all these are influenced people's behavior and sense (Watteau, 2011). Essentially, Fetes Galantes was vital in depicting Watteau view on landscape despite its position as a distinct commercial genre. Similarly, Rococo ideals began in France started with a high level of melancholic artistic paintings of Antoine which have depicted the romanticism of nature and landscape. Generally, the Rococo values were mainly characterized by swiftly going lighthearted treatment of different mythical and courtship themes. Moreover, some of Rococo's ideals were categorically naturalized (Watteau, 2011). Hence Watteau used this methodology to depict the true romanticism of nature and landscape.

Conclusion

In summary, the interest of Antoine's work solely revolves around his interest for colors hence making him become of the best-renowned artist in France and beyond. Through his artistic work full of decoration, painting, and incorporation of various artistic concepts he depicts how he feels nature should be treated. Through his Fetes Galante and incorporation of Rococo ideals, Antoine described views landscape as a romantic and beautiful place that should be accommodative to everyone. However, this can be achieved through incorporation of human emotion and senses.

The photographic reproduction above is a representation of one of Antoine's artist works during the Rococo period. This clear representation of nature or how Antoine treats nature to be. Different decorations of color and symbols are evident in the photograph making it be an eye-catching pictorial that represent a romantic treatment of nature and landscape (Watteau, 2011).

Reference

Collins, J. L. (2005). Watteau et la fete Galante (review). Eighteenth-Century Studies, 38(4), 691-696. doi:10.1353/ecs.2005.0036

Conroy, P. V., Tomlinson, R., & Kars, H. (1983). La Fete Galante: Watteau et Marivaux. Eighteenth-Century Studies, 17(1), 107. Doi: 10.2307/2738273

Cullagh, S. F., & Watteau, A. (1976). A Study for "La Fete d'Amour" by Antoine Watteau 1684-1721. Bulletin of the Art Institute of Chicago (1973-1982), 70(1), 14. Doi: 10.2307/4108723

Jones, S. (1982). Review. La Fete Galante: Watteau and Marivaux. Tomlinson, Robert. French Studies, 36(2), 329-329. doi:10.1093/fs/36.2.329

Watteau, Jean Antoine or Antoine. (2011). Benezit Dictionary of Artists. doi:10.1093/benz/9780199773787.article.b00194951