Cleveland Museum of Art

The Guitarist

Jean-Baptiste Pater

Date

1720s

Medium

red chalk

Culture

France, 18th century

Department

Drawings

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Like his illustrious master, Watteau, Jean-Baptiste Pater specialized in fêtes galantes , paintings that featured elegantly attired men and women in bucolic settings engaged in decorously amorous play. Also like his teacher, Pater worked out his preliminary ideas in red chalk studies. During the 17th century, guitar virtuosos from Italy and Spain made their way to the court of Louis XIV, and by the 18th century, the instrument had become integrated into French culture of gallantry and featured prominently in fêtes galantes. Jean-Baptiste Pater worried excessively about his finances and made a prolific number of artworks as a result, with the intention of selling them.

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