Jean Antoine Watteau

Jean-Antoine Watteau was a French rococo painter. He received lessons from Gillot - between 1704 and 1705 - and from Claude Audran, between 1707 and 1708. Audran was curator of the art collection in the Palace of Luxembourg. A series of paintings by Rubens showing events from the life of Maria de Medici had a great influence on the work of Watteau. He made use of the drawings he made of this series many times. Watteau was the first painter who produced the so-called Fêtes Galantes. The works show idyllic scenes of groups of gentry. Often his works are based on scenes from theatrical pieces of the French and Italian Commedia dell'Arte.