JEAN ANTOINE WATTEAU

Famous brothers Goncourt wrote about the artist in 1856: "Watt - the great poet of the eighteenth century. Masterpieces of dreams and poetry, created by his mind, filled to the brim with extraordinary grace of life . . . like a Watteau again revives the beauty. But this is not the beauty of antiquity that lies in the perfection of the marble Galatea or material embodiment seductive Venus, and the medieval charm of austerity and toughness. The paintings by Watteau beauty is the beauty: this is what a woman shrouded cloud of appeal, her charm, the very essence of physical beauty. This is something subtle that it seems smile, the devil, the soul forms the spiritual entity of matter. "

Jean-Antoine Watteau was born on October 10, 1684 in the small town of Valenciennes severofrantsuzskom. His father, Jean-Philippe Watteau was a roofer and carpenter. First lessons in painting crafts boy received from the local elderly painter Zherena. However, the study did not last long: a miser's father did not want to pay six Tours livres a year for their studies.

Around 1700, Antoine left his native city of Paris, accompanied the theatrical artist Metayer. He hired a picturesque shop on the bridge of Notre Dame, whose owner has organized mass production and profitable sale of cheap religious pictures. For dull and hard work by Watteau received a pittance and a plate of soup every day. "

Antoine was lucky to meet Jean-Marietta, art dealer and connoisseur of painting. In Marietta home he met his first real teacher - Claude Gilles. He has a young artist learned to love the theater, which was later devoted much of his work.

The first independent picture of Watteau written by Moliere's motives - it is "a satire on doctors. " It has a very characteristic and the second name that reveals its contents: "What have I done, ye cursed assassins?"

In 1708 Watteau away from Gillet and received an assistant to the designer Claude Odranu. Together with his teacher, Antoine works hard ornamental paintings, gaining his characteristic further ease and accuracy of the figure. At the same time he continues to copy and study the works of old masters.

Dream of going to Rome, Watteau goes to the Academy of Fine Arts. But the competition at the Academy, he received only second prize, and in 1709 he returned to Valenciennes, where he took an apprentice, Jean-Baptiste Pater.

Watteau returned to Paris in 1710, already as large, creatively mature master.

Photo — «Jean Antoine Watteau»

The main themes to which he devotes his time, it works - military.

"It is very small, pointed chamber scenes we see the transition army in bad weather, a short rest the soldiers again, the transition in the rain and wind, tired crowd of recruits, - says Igor Nemilova. -" The burdens of war "and" Military Rosedene "refer among the best paintings in this series. The first of them can appreciate the skill of the artist in the transfer of state of nature, a sudden whirlwind, chasing wisps of clouds, bending trees and blowing coats riders. Small figures of people do not seem able to resist bad weather. Anxiety permeates the whole picture. The second scene depicts the mood of a diametrically opposite: the people, weary of military life, enjoy your holiday, blissfully alone stretched out under the trees, while others have a snack in the tent, canteen-keeper. Soft lighting of a summer day stresses calm the situation. "

War scenes by Watteau in the number of nominated artists, is a success. Great demand pattern used in participants Flemish campaigns.

Upon arrival of Valenciennes Watteau moved from a dealer frames and paintings by Pierre Sirois, through which he met with Pierre Crozat, the royal treasurer, a millionaire and connoisseurs of art. Probably in 1714 adopted a proposal by Watteau Crozat settle into his new mansion. There, the artist might enjoy the contemplation of the magnificent collection of paintings, sculptures, paintings, carved stones, it could work without thinking about their daily bread.

Along with the military theme in the work of Watteau start solidly include topics related to the life of the theater and actors. The artist himself makes staging, scenery replaces the scenic backdrop. Sometimes it's lonely figure musician, singer or dancer in a landscape: "Finetti", "Indifferent" (both - 1716-1717), sometimes - a few artists or artist friends in theatrical costumes: "The clothes Metsetena" (1710's) "Actors of Italian comedy" (about 1712).

Living in Crozet, the artist could watch theatrical performances in the bosom of nature, the fashion at that time in the entertainment capital of the nobles, concerts, pantomimes, masquerades These experiences inspired by Watteau's most poetic works - "gallant festivals".

As noted by NL Maltsev: "gallant festivals" Watteau imbued with hidden, barely perceptible movement of mind, contradictory moods, they heard a gentle, then archly-ironic, then sad tone, the poetic dream of the unattainable perfect, the disbelief in the sincerity of the characters.

Photo — «Jean Antoine Watteau»

Scene of the situation and experiences of characters are given in close connection with nature. It carries a sense of the transience of life, fragility of her happiest moments, and characteristic of his heroes, among whom there is no volitional natures.

In the film "Society in the park" dressed young men and women talking quietly, as if enchanted by the poetic beauty of nature, in tune with their mood. In the landscape of brooding silence reigns, and the characters are not typical of Watteau violent displays of affection. Concentrated in themselves, they move in a slow rhythm by a barely perceptible half-smile, views, unfinished movements can only guess about their experiences. "

In 1717 Watteau year wrote one of his best paintings - "Pilgrimage to the island of Cythera. " For it in the same year, the artist received from the Royal Academy of specially devised for him the title of "artist's gallant festivals".

The image of the product is extremely musical. It seems that in the composition of the picture turns a slow dance to the rhythm of which ladies and gentlemen are moving down the hill to the boat, which should deliver them to Cythera.

Every gesture, turning the head, facial expressions can convey subtle shades of emotion. The artist does not seek to individualization, his heroes and heroines look similar. A lyricist par excellence, it aims to recreate the world of emotions, to show their origin and development, and their subtle nuances.

K 1718 is a magnificent painting by Watteau - Capricious, a very exponential for master of fine emotional images, precise and elegant figure, the harmony of color.

At the end of 1719 Watteau went to England. Here he re-wrote the theater - now "The Italian actor, one of his most recent theatrical compositions. Actors stand in front of an audience, as if saying goodbye to them, like giving last bow after the last act of the beautiful pieces of the artist.

"The Italian actors" were purchased from Watteau lechivshim his Dr. Meade, an artist was consumed by tuberculosis. Treatment has not helped. Watteau returned to Paris in the summer of 1720 terminally ill.

Knowing that was going to die, as if it has collected in the latter strain all their mental strength. In the last year of his life he has created his most significant paintings: "Gilles," "Portrait of the Sculptor Patera", "Gers sign" and their best pictures.

Loneliness, sadness, dissatisfaction with particular strength embodied in the image of the artist, "Gilles (circa 1720).

Stress is a fixed posture, limply drooping hands, pale face, sad eyes clearly reveal the state of his soul, in which live the loneliness, sadness, frustration.

Italian art historian G. Fossey says that the "Gilles" - one of the most enigmatic paintings of world art: who is this young man in a mask, a puppet look, hanging like a puppet, his hands, but alive, sensitive hands? And what kind of people sit at his feet, what they are looking over what they laugh and wonder why, hiding behind grassy hillock, so emotionally removed from the unreachable dummy, the only figure, which stops the viewer's eye? A donkey? A germanium (four-sided pillar or pedestal, culminating in the sculptural head or bust statue without a head), the Faun, rising above the right, paradoxically alive, as all the sculptures depicted in scenes of Watteau "in nature?"

Brilliant final creative Watteau - Signboard Gers.

Its lucky owner certified that "it was written last week, and that the artist worked only in the mornings; fragile health, or rather, the weakness did not allow him to work longer. "

In seven short sessions, the artist created a masterpiece!

For the first time in a painting by Watteau art world separated from the real world and real people of flesh and blood for the first time are shown in direct interaction with an imaginary, beautiful world.

"All together in this bizarre film, where the usual boundaries of genres are destroyed with the same regal confidence that she herself front wall zhersenovskoy shop, - writes M. Herman. - The everyday work of packers, tenderness, love, accidentally entering the store, funny flirting fans, proud of its involvement in the professional secrecy, moving attention to the art of those who are in fact able to admire it.

In this case, all in the film seems so natural, so by itself what is happening, it's hard to see beyond the simplicity of this faultless and perfect composition calculation.

There is nothing accidental in this work by Watteau. And even a dog on the pavement helps to balance the picture, since the right team deeper and left seems so easy. "

Close friends have tried to help a terminally ill artist, gave him a fine house near Paris. There he died July 18, 1721. "He ended his life with a paintbrush in his hand," - wrote about him a friend.