Best known for his fetes galantes such as the famous Pelerinage a l'ile de Cythere, Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) was a major proponent in the revival of the Baroque style and the formation of the Rococo movement. Watteau was inspired by the theater and in particular the commedia dell'arte, hence elaborately costumed actors, dancers, and musicians were recurrent subjects; he was also fond of bucolic scenes and portraiture. Infused with romance, drama, and joie de vivre, Watteau's paintings depict a idyllic world of pleasure and entertainment.Every book in "Taschen's Basic Art Series" features: a detailed chronological summary of the artist's life and work, covering the cultural and historical importance of the artist; approximately 100 color illustrations with explanatory captions; and, a concise biography.

Author Biography

Iris Lauterbach studied art history and Romance philology and gained her doctorate in 1985. Since 1991 she is at the Research Department of the Zentralinstitut fur Kunstgeschichte in Munich and teaches history of garden architecture at the Technical University Munich. Her primary fields of research include the French 18th century and the history of European garden art from the 16th to the early 19th century.