What Happened When Jean-antoine Watteau Submitted The Above Piece To The Royal Academy Of Painting?

Painting by Jean-Antoine Watteau

The Embarkation for Cythera (Louvre version): Many commentators note that it depicts a departure from the island of Cythera, the birthplace of Venus, thus symbolizing the temporary nature of human being happiness.

The Embarkation for Cythera ("L'embarquement pour Cythère") is a painting by the French painter Jean-Antoine Watteau. Information technology is likewise known every bit Voyage to Cythera and Pilgrimage to the Island of Cythera . Watteau submitted this piece of work to the Regal University of Painting and Sculpture equally his reception piece in 1717.^[1] The painting is now in the Louvre in Paris. A 2d version of the work, sometimes called Pilgrimage to Cythera to distinguish it, was painted by Watteau most 1718 or 1719^[2] and is in the Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin.

Subject [edit]

Pilgrimage to Cythera is an embellished repetition of Watteau'southward earlier painting, and demonstrates the frivolity and sensuousness of Rococo painting. (c. 1718-19, Berlin)

The painting portrays a "fête galante"; an amorous celebration or party enjoyed by the elite of French republic subsequently the decease of Louis 14, which is by and large seen as a menses of dissipation and pleasure, and peace, after the sombre last years of the previous reign.

The work celebrates beloved, with many cupids flight around the couples and pushing them closer together, as well every bit the statue of Venus (the goddess of sexual love). At that place are 3 pairs of lovers in the foreground. While the couple on the right by the statue are notwithstanding engaged in their passionate tryst, another couple rises to follow a third pair downwardly the hill, although the adult female of the third pair glances back fondly at the goddess's sacred grove. At the foot of the hill, several more happy couples are preparing to board the gold boat at the left. With its light and wispy brushstrokes, the hazy mural in the background does not requite to any clues about the flavor, or whether it is dawn or sunset.

It has oft been noted that, despite the championship, the people on the island seem to be leaving rather than arriving, particularly since they take already paired up. Many art historians have come up with a diversity of interpretations of the allegory of the voyage to the isle of beloved. Watteau himself purposely did not requite an answer.

External video

Antoine Watteau, Pilgrimage to Cythera, 1717, Smarthistory

In the ancient world, Cythera, one of the Greek islands, was thought to be the birthplace of Venus, goddess of love. Thus, the island became sacred to the goddess and dear. However, the subject of Cythera may have been inspired by certain 17th century operas or an illustration of a minor play. In Florent Carton Dancourt's Les Trois Cousines (The 3 Cousins), a girl dressed equally a pilgrim steps out from the chorus line and invites the audience to join her on a voyage to the island, where everyone will run into their ideal partner.

History [edit]

It was around 1717 that Watteau painted his first, more literal version of the theme, which nonetheless bears a compositional similarity to the Louvre painting. This work is now in the Städtische Galerie im Städelschen Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt-am-Main.

When Watteau was accepted as a fellow member of the Academy in 1714, he was expected to present the customary reception slice. Although he was given unusual freedom in choosing a subject field for his painting, his failure to submit a piece of work brought several reprimands.^[3] Meanwhile, Watteau worked on numerous individual commissions that his rise reputation brought him. Finally, in January 1717, the Academy called Watteau to task, and in August of that year he presented his painting, which had been painted chop-chop in the preceding eight months.^[4] Once submitted, the painting caused the Academy to invent a new nomenclature for it, since the subject was so striking and new. This resulted in the fête galantes (elegant fêtes or outdoor entertainments), a genre subsequently expert past imitators of Watteau, such as Jean-Baptiste Pater and Nicolas Lancret. While the creation of the new category acknowledged Watteau as the originator of the genre, information technology also prevented him being recognised as history painter, the highest form of painter, and the simply one from which the university's professors were fatigued. Charles-Antoine Coypel, the son of its so director, subsequently said: "The charming paintings of this gracious painter would exist a bad guide for whoever wished to paint the Acts of the Apostles."^[5] ^[vi]

Popularity [edit]

In years after Watteau's death, his art fell out of fashion. During the French Revolution, some lxxx years afterwards the work was painted, his depictions of lavishly set pastoral escapades were associated with the quondam days of the monarchy and a frivolous elite. This particular piece, which had entered the drove of the Louvre in 1795, was used by fine art students for target practise; an account by Pierre-Nolasque Bergeret (1782–1863) describes the drawing students throwing bread pellets at information technology.^[seven] ^[8] In the early 19th century the curator at the Louvre was forced to place it in storage until 1816 in order to protect the painting from angry protesters. It was not until the 1830s that Watteau and the Rococo returned into manner.

Derivative works [edit]

In 1904 Claude Debussy wrote a slice for solo pianoforte titled "50'Isle Joyeuse", which may have been inspired past the painting; the colorful and brilliant pianoforte writing depicts the ecstasy of the lovers.^[9] Four decades later, Debussy'southward compatriot Francis Poulenc wrote a lively piece for two pianos which took the name of the painting for its title, "Fifty'Embarquement pour Cythere".

On screen [edit]

''Les secrets de la fête galante. Le pèlerinage à fifty'île de Cythère, film past Alain Jaubert from Palettes series (1995).

References [edit]

^ Humphrey Wine and Annie Scottez-De Wambrechies. "Watteau" in Grove Art Online. oxfordartonline.com Oxford Academy Printing. Retrieved viii February 2014.
^ Getlein, Mark (2005). Gilbert's living with art (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Loma. p. 87. ISBN0072859342.
^ Grasselli et al. 1984, p. 396.
^ Grasselli et al. 1984, pp. 398–399.
^ Coypel, Charles Antoine (1732). Discours sur la peinture, prononcez dans les conférences de l'Académie Royale de peinture et sculpture (in French). Paris: P. J. Mariette. p. 14. Wateau eut trouvé dans le Vatican peu d'études à faire convenables à son genre particulier, & les tableaux charmans de ce gracieux peintre guideroient mal quiconque voudroit peindre les Actes des Apôtres.
^ Wine, Humphrey; Scottez-De Wambrechies, Annie (1996). "Watteau". In Turner, Jane (ed.). The Dictionary of Fine art. Vol. 32. New York: Grove's Dictionaries. pp. 913–921. ISBN1-884446-00-0 – via the Internet Archive. Also available via Oxford Art Online (subscription needed).
^ Bergeret, Pierre-Nolasque (1848). Lettres d'un creative person... Paris: Chez 50'auteur. p. 334 – via the Cyberspace Annal.
^ Grasselli et al. 1984, pp. 397–398.
^ Schmitz, Due east. Robert (1950), The Piano Works of Claude Debussy, Toronto: Dover, p. 94, LCCN 66-20423