Biographies

Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684 – 1721) He was born in Valenciennes, where his artistic ability showed itself in drawings of people and places there. In 1702 he went to Paris, where he met Claude Gillot, a designer of theatrical sets, who introduced him to the world of theatrical production which frequently appears in his work. He is considered a major figure in the style of painting and decoration known as rococo.