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THE DRAWINGS
WING OF GALLERIES
12 March - 5 June
Drawing lay at the heart of Watteau’s creative process; he prized his drawings and kept them in bound volumes which enabled him to refer to them when composing his paintings as they were an essential source of inspiration for figure poses. Throughout his career Watteau worked continually in red chalk, early works using this medium on display will include The Shipwreck c.1710 and Interior of a Draper’s Shop c.1710-11. Although he achieved as broad a range of colour and tone as is possible through this medium, he is best known for his mastery of the trois crayons technique, the subtle manipulation and expert balancing of red, black and white. He made very little use of pen and ink and occasionally combined chalk with graphite, and also employed washes.
Watteau: The Drawings will demonstrate the breadth of his oeuvre. Watteau made drawings of
figures in poses that were charming, ambiguous and natural. The subjects depicted in his
drawings varied enormously from the highly exotic, portrayed in works such as Seated Persian
Wearing a Turban, c.1715; to the itinerant, Standing Savoyard, c.1715; and the joyous spirit of fantasy, Woman on a Swing, Seen from the Back, c.1715. Watteau’s influence has been subtle and profound, pre-empting the spirit of the French Rococo and foreshadowing the work of the Impressionists in execution and treatment of colour.
Watteau’s posthumous reputation can be measured by the fact that within a few years of his
death in 1721, over three hundred of his drawings had been published as etchings in two volumes (1726, 1728). His work both as a draughtsman and as a painter influenced subsequent generations of French artists, notably François Boucher and Jean-Honoré Fragonard.
Watteau: The Drawings has been organised by the Royal Academy of Arts. The exhibition has been curated by Pierre Rosenberg, Académie Française, Président-Directeur of the Musée du Louvre, Louis-Antoine Prat, Chargé de mission, Département des Arts graphiques, Musée du Louvre and Katia Pisvin, Royal Academy of Arts, London.
We are delighted to support Watteau: The Drawings at the Royal Academy of Arts. Region Holdings is committed to strengthening economic ties between the West and the East, and to establishing social, urban and physical infrastructures in emerging markets.
Contributing to the Arts, a universal language across societies and cultures is a core element of our philosophy. Our partnership with the Royal Academy is a testament to our belief, and we look forward to further strengthening it in the future.
Three Studies of a Young Girl Wearing a Hat, c. 1716
Red and black chalk, graphite on paper
138 x 246 mm
Collection of Ann and Gordon Getty
Woman Wearing a Mantle Over Her Head and Shoulders, c. 1718-19
Black and red chalks with stumping on paper
197 x 179 mm
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts
Photo Copyright Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA
Photo Michael Agee
Three Studies of Soldiers Holding Guns, 1715
Red chalk on paper, 151 x 199 mm. Collection Frits Lugt, Fondation Custodia, Paris;
Seated Persian Wearing a Fur Hat, 1715. Red and black chalk on paper, 250 x 212 mm. Teylers Museum, Haarlem
Two Studies of a Woman Seated on the Ground, c. 1715-16
Red chalk on cream paper
202 x 340 mm
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. This drawing was recuperated from Germany after
World War II
Two Studies of Women, the One on the Left with Arms Raised, the One on the Right Seated, Pulling up Her Stocking, c. 1716–17
Black, red and white chalks and graphite on cream paper
260 x 205 mm
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm
Photo copyright The Nationalmuseum, Stockholm
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