Jean-Antoine Watteau - The Italian comedians

Title: The Italian comedians (Comedia dell arte - les comediens italiens)
Artist: Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721)
Date: 1720
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 64 x 76 cm

“Comedia dell arte” depicts an Italian professional theater company on a scene. The characters of the company represent social types and stock characters. Here Watteau has included- in the center Pierotto (the servant all dressed in white), in the back on the right Pantalone (the greedy, old man), Innamorati (a young couple of lovers), many Zanni (servants, clowns), and cheeky children, etc.

Watteau marked a shift to the Rococo with a less severe and formerly classical style and with more naturalistic colors and human movements.