Cleveland Museum of Art

The Clothes are Italian

Jean-Antoine Watteau

Date

1715–16

Medium

etching

Culture

France, 18th century

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Actors dressed as stock characters from the Italian commedia dell’arte and the French popular theater take their final bow in this print. Known for their comic plots and improvisational satire, the Italian players were banned in France from 1697 until 1716 after one of their productions was thought to criticize King Louis XIV’s mistress. Still in demand with French audiences, some of the characters and stories were adapted into the less regulated popular performances. The sense of whimsy and play associated with this form of theater is mirrored by the spontaneity and freedom of the artist's etched lines. Jean-Antoine Watteau’s compositions often reference theater and music.

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