Restoration Reveals Famous 18th Century Master’s Hidden Self-Portrait

Tim Brinkhof | artnet news | 22nd October 2024

We usually associate Watteau with his fetes galantes –paintings of the well-to-do frolicking in lush gardens –that embody the rococo style. He also painted the Louvre’s “mysterious masterpiece”, the comic theatrical figure Pierrot. Its restoration is prompting new speculation, not just about whether it is by Watteau (it seems it is) but also whether the background figure in black is Watteau himself. Why did he paint it and what does it mean? Its many mysteries are elegantly set out in this video (10 min).