Jean-Antoine Watteau, 1684-1721, is distinct as an artist in that a term was developed to describe his work. Concerning Watteau’s paintings, Metropolitan Museum scholar Perrin Stein states, “During Watteau’s lifetime, a new term, fête galante, was coined to describe them” (Perrin). The term refers to a courtship party (FAMSF). Visiting the Legion of Honor, the painting intrigues me over many years.

I would not consider this the strongest work by Watteau and yet the characteristic qualities are present. Even saying that, I start to disagree with myself. What is it? Why is this painting like every painting of Watteau? In using the term strong, am I missing the point? Yes, Watteau is a strong painter, the obvious skills, the command of visual languge—-his painterly statements. His subjects defy strong however.

The editors of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco state, “Set in a garden, it depicts elegantly attired men and women engaged in gentle flirtation. Suspended between the worlds of the theater and aristocratic sociability, the scene includes recognizable characters from the commedia dell’arte (Italian theater)—Gilles, also known as Pierrot, the clown in white at right, and Mezzetin, in stripes at left—but does not illustrate a specific play.” (FAMSF)

The figure to the right is characteristically a Watteau personage, slope shouldered, melancholic, and wonderfully present as well. In this case we only see the back with the dangling Baroque guitar. This character is Watteau. He stands embracing the world before him, ready to strum the five course instrument. The French lutenist/guitarist Robert de Visée was a contemporary. I wonder if the character in the painting knew the suite in D minor? The recording of Lex Eisenhardt lends a sense of the era (Eisenhardt).

The attire, the two women, the man to the left, the foliage, all join together in the poetic summation of an afternoon. The comfort, familiarity, and ease of the characters speaks to the possibility of alternatives—and hopefully not—of people from other paintings, not so wonderful. Watteau’s paintings, and people, are gentle.

By Drew Burgess

Drew Burgess is an art professor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California.

Cite this page as: Drew Burgess, “The Foursome by Jean-Antoine Watteau at the Legion of Honor” November 20, 2024, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/2024/11/20/the-foursome-by-jean-antoine-watteau-at-the-legion-of-honor

Citations
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, “The Foursome, Jean-Antoine Watteau”, accessed November 20, 2024, https://www.famsf.org/artworks/the-foursome

Stein, Perrin. “Antoine Watteau (1684–1721).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–, accessed November 20, 2024, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/watt/hd_watt.htm (October 2003)

Eisenhardt, Lex, baroque guitar, “Robert de Visée, suite D minor”, accessed November 20, 2024, YouTube, https://youtu.be/3AEos1CGhTM?si=uXwBJuoNRBbYO7qH