Staande offcier gekleed volgens de mode ca. 1710

About this artwork

ets en gravure, gedrukt op één blad met drie andere prenten

Art Historical Context

Step into the elegant world of early 18th-century France Jean-Antoine Watteau *Staande offcier gekleed de mode ca. 1710* (Standing Officer Dressed According to the Fashion ca.1710). This delicate etching captures a poised military officer in the height of Regency-era fashion, showcasing the refined attire that blended martial prowess with courtly sophistication. Watteau, a Rococo artist famed for his dreamy *fêtes galantes*, here turns his masterful eye to portraiture, highlighting the period's obsession with appearances amid the opulent courts of Louis XIV's successors. Rendered in etching and engraving on a compact sheet measuring just 127mm high by 79mm wide, this print was produced alongside three others on a single leaf—a common practice for disseminating affordable art to a wider audience. Etching allowed Watteau's fluid, spontaneous linework to shine, evoking the lightness and grace of his paintings while preserving intricate details like lace cuffs and tricorn hats. Created between 1710 and 1738 (posthumously, as Watteau died in 1721), it reflects the era's technical innovations in printmaking, bridging painting and popular culture. This gem offers a window into Europe's cultural shift toward Rococo frivolity, where fashion signaled status. Imagine officers strutting through Versailles gardens—Watteau's print immortalizes that fleeting glamour for us today.