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This medalhas been cast to commemorate the French painter of the Baroque, Jean-AntoineWATTEAU, 1684 – 1721 and its relation to the priorities of the contemporarytimes; the economy and art.
The medalhas been designed by the French medalist, Albert DECARIS.
The medaillehas the number of 391 of 1000 minted pieces.
TheLouvre(/ˈluːv(rə)/LOOV(-rə)), or theLouvre Museum(French:Musée du Louvre [myze dyluvʁ](
listen)) is a nationalart museuminParis,France. Acentral landmark of the city, it is located on theRight Bankof theSeinein the citys1st arrondissement(district or ward) and home tosome of the mostcanonicalworks ofWestern art, including theMona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The museum is housed in theLouvre Palace, originally built in the late 12th to13thcentury under PhilipII. Remnants of theMedievalLouvrefortressare visible in the basement of the museum. Due to urban expansion, the fortresseventually lost its defensive function, and in 1546Francis Iconverted it into the primary residence of theFrench Kings.
Jean-AntoineWatteau;October 10, 1684 – July 18, 1721) was a French painter whose brief careerspurred the revival of interest in colour and movement (in the tradition of Correggioand Rubens),and revitalized the waning Baroqueidiom, which eventually became known as Rococo. He is credited withinventing the genre of fêtesgalantes: scenes of bucolic and idyllic charm, suffused with anair of theatricality. Some of his best known subjects were drawn from the worldof Italian comedy and ballet.
av. The portraitof lady in the Baroque costume on the backgroundof the Louvre
rv. The symbolsof the contemporary economic and industrial activity
diameter – 113 mm (4½“)
weight – 468.30 gr, (16.52 oz)
metal– bronze, gold plated
Critical assessmentand legacy
Little known duringthe lifetime of Antoine Watteau beyond a small circle of his devotees, he "was mentionedbut seldom in contemporary art criticism and then usually reprovingly".Sir Michael Leveyonce noted that Watteau "created, unwittingly, the concept of theindividualistic artist loyal to himself, and himself alone". If hisimmediate followers (Lancret and Pater) would depict the unabashed frillery ofaristocratic romantic pursuits, Watteau in a few masterpieces anticipates anart about art, the world of art as seen through the eyes of an artist. Incontrast to the Rococo whimsicality and licentiousness cultivated by Boucherand Fragonard in the later part of Louis XVs reign, Watteaustheatrical panache is usually tinged with a note of sympathy, wistfulness, andsadness at the transience of love and other earthly delights.
Soon after his deatha series of engravings was made after his works, the Receuil Jullienne. Thequality of the reproductions, using a mixture of engraving and etchingfollowing the practice of the Rubens engravers, varied according to the skillof the people employed by Jean de Jullienne, but was often very high. Such acomprehensive record was hitherto unparalleled. This helped disseminate hisinfluence round Europe and into the decorativearts.
Watteaus influenceon the arts (not only painting, but the decorative arts,costume, film, poetry, music) was more extensive thanthat of almost any other 18th-century artist. According to the 1911Britannica, "in his treatment of the landscape background andof the atmospheric surroundings of the figures can be found the germs of Impressionism".The Watteau dress, a long, sacklike dress with loose pleatshanging from the shoulder at the back, similar to those worn by many of thewomen in his paintings, is named after him. A revived vogue for Watteau beganin Englandduring the BritishRegency, and was later encapsulated by the Goncourtbrothers and the World of Art. In 1984 Watteau societies were created in Paris, by Jean Ferré, and London,by Dr Selby Whittingham. A major exhibition in Paris,Washington and Berlin commemorated the tercentenary of hisbirth in 1984. Since 2000 a Watteau centre has been established at Valenciennes by ProfessorChris Rauseo. A catalogue of his drawings has been compiled by PierreRosenberg, replacing the one by Sir Karl Parker, and Alan Wintermuteis preparing one of his paintings.
