Biography on Antoine Watteau Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biography on Antoine Watteau - Essay Example He was not able to get along well with Metayer and ended up working in a factory painting devotional pictures, he did not have a choice then since he was already starving and had to sacrifice his art. Thus, as early as 18 years of his life, Watteau began to make copies of Flemish and Dutch genre paintings which resulted to the development of his technique characterized as sketchlike. After a year of working at Pont Notre Dame, he became an assistant to the painter Claude Gilllot whose paintings depicted mythological landscape. Gillot was a good mentor since his apprentice surpassed him in popularity and developed their own technique. The main contribution of Gillot to Watteau was his association with character s of commedia dell’arte which heavily influenced Watteau’s works later in his life. Another mentor in Watteau’s life is a Flemish interior decorator named Claude Andran III. By profession, Adran was the curator of Palais de Luxembourg. This allowed Watteau to view the famous paintings made by Pater Paul Rubens for Queen Marie de Medici. In his life as an artist, Watteau experienced disappointments especially when he was disqualified by the Academy to obtain Prix de Rome. He took this as a challenge and surpassed the expectations of the Academy that he himself became a member of that prestigious organization. Sadly in 1720 Watteau’s health began to fail him and he sought the advice of Dr. Richard Mead who was then a a notable physician. Admittedly, he was a sickly boy since childhood days and his devotion to his work made him neglect his failing health. As a result Watteau’s life as an artist was cut-off in 1721 since he died from tuberculous laryngitis at the age of 36. Eventually, he paid the price at the cost of his life. Antoine Watteau has created many artworks yet some of them raised controversy through the meaning they seem to interpret or symbolize. Among the art works that was known as provocative was the