Title Page
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-494-1
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Antoine Watteau, a leading French artist of the early eighteenth century, helped define the Rococo style through his graceful scenes of elegant gatherings and theatrical figures. This title page, produced around 1735 as a print, appeared more than a decade after his death in 1721. It most likely introduced a portfolio or book of engravings after his drawings and paintings, extending his refined vision to new audiences through the reproducible medium of print. Printmaking played a vital role in the period by allowing intricate compositions to circulate widely beyond the original artworks. Held...