Shop art print and framed art Pierrot by Antoine Watteau

Watteau's Pierrot melancholy

The painting Pierrot, also known as Gilles, is an iconic work by rococo painter Jean-Antoine Watteau, created around 1718-1719. This large oil on canvas (185 x 150 cm), is housed in the Musée du Louvre in Paris. It depicts a commedia dell'arte character, Pierrot, in a static, melancholy pose, contrasting with the festive atmosphere usually associated with this theatrical universe.

An atypical Pierrot

Contrary to traditional depictions of Pierrot as an agile, mischievous character, Watteau depicts him here in an attitude of sadness and solitude. Standing, slightly off to the left of the composition, Pierrot is motionless, his gaze lost in vagueness. His loose, flowing white suit accentuates his melancholy air. His face is almost frozen, reinforcing the impression of detachment and isolation that emanates from the work. Watteau thus breaks with the codes of commedia dell'arte by presenting a pensive, introspective Pierrot, far removed from the character's usual antics and vivacity.

The theatrical universe at the center of Watteau's Pierrot

The Pierrot painting is set in a historical context in which commedia dell'arte was enjoying growing success in France. Watteau, having worked with Claude Gillot, a specialist in the representation of Italian comedy plays, the painter was fascinated by this theatrical universe and drew inspiration from commedia dell'arte characters and costumes to create original, poetic works. Pierrot bears witness to this interest in the world of spectacle, while transposing it into a more intimate, psychological register.

No doubt inspired by the ban on performances at the Théâtre de la Foire by the Comédie Française, a staunch opponent of Italian comedy, Watteau was not content to depict a classic comedy scene. His version of Pierrot is filled with melancholy, at odds with the joyous scenes generally representative of the theatrical world. In the background, we can see characters going about their business, indifferent to the presence of the melancholy Pierrot, but above all the representation of Crispin, one of the leading characters in Comédie Française plays, mocking Pierrot.

Watteau's Pierrot: a major artistic legacy

Pierrot is considered one of Watteau's major works. Although the central figure of Pierrot is off-center (no doubt due to a cutout in the canvas), an unusual occurrence for the period, the painting remains today an emblematic work of French rococo, admired for its poetic beauty, fine execution and psychological depth.

Discovered at the end of the 18th century, then passing through the hands of several collectors before being bequeathed to the Louvre by Louis La Caze in 1869, Pierrot's innovative, psychological depiction influenced many artists, notably the Romantic painters of the 19th century. Pierrot testifies to Watteau's unique talent for capturing human emotions and transposing them into an original, timeless artistic universe.

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

« Pierrot » is kept at Louvre, Paris, France.

Find the full description of Pierrot by Antoine Watteau on Wikipedia.