Jean-Antoine Watteau

Watteau left for Paris in 1702 and found work in a workshop at Pont Notre-Dame, copying popular Flemish and Dutch genre paintings. He then assisted Claude Gillot, whose studio introduced him to the characters of the commedia dell'arte, a lifelong passion. He is credited with inventing the fêtes galantes, scenes of idyllic charm with a theatrical air. The Academy made him a full member in 1717, and his reception piece was the Pilgrimage to Cythera. He had been sickly since childhood and died in 1721 at the age of 36, perhaps from tuberculous laryngitis. Browse 158 works by Jean-Antoine Watteau from 42 museums, free to download in HD. Source: Wikipedia