Shop art print and framed art Pierrot, dit autrefois Gilles by Antoine Watteau

Pierrot is a painting attributed to Antoine Watteau, which is thought to have been painted in 1718-1719 and is now on display in the Louvre. It has long been known as Gilles. A major work by the painter, we know nothing about the circumstances and conditions in which this monumental painting (184 cm high and 149 cm wide) was produced. The abundant use of ceruse white in the painting has led the Madrid specialist Dr Ismael Torrecilla to suggest that Watteau died not of phthisis but of poisoning by this toxic product. Pierrot is one of the most famous characters in Italian comedy. The theme of this painting may have come from Watteau's experience as a pupil of Claude Gillot, who painted many theatre sets, among other things. The current explanation is that the painting's large format and subject originated in a commission to be the sign for the café of the former actor Belloni. The off-centre position of the main character, considered daring at the time, was not in fact the original composition of the painting. Close inspection reveals traces of an old stretcher frame that was practically in the centre of Pierrot's figure, the painting having subsequently been [...]

 

This artwork is a painting from the classical period. It belongs to the rococo style.

 

« Pierrot, dit autrefois Gilles » is kept at Musée du Louvre, Paris, France.

 

Find the full description of Pierrot, dit autrefois Gilles by Antoine Watteau on Wikipedia.