1720, Antoine Watteau, Italian Comedians -- National Gallery of Art (Washington)
From the museum label:
A troupe of actors gathers on stage to take a bow. They are dressed as stock characters from the Commedia dell'arte, a form of slapstick theater popular in 18th-century France.
All of the performers continue to play their parts, interacting and gesturing expressively -- except Pierrot, the lovesick clown at the center. Dressed in shining white, he stands still, smiling slightly, his eyes unfocused. We can't read his expression. An actor refusing to act, he is a mystery.
Watteau was fascinated by the fuzzy boundary between life and theater, reality and performance. Pierrot invites us to consider who we become when we step outside our assigned roles.
1720, Antoine Watteau, Italian Comedians -- National Gallery of Art (Washington)
From the museum label:
A troupe of actors gathers on stage to take a bow. They are dressed as stock characters from the Commedia dell'arte, a form of slapstick theater popular in 18th-century France.
All of the performers continue to play their parts, interacting and gesturing expressively -- except Pierrot, the lovesick clown at the center. Dressed in shining white, he stands still, smiling slightly, his eyes unfocused. We can't read his expression. An actor refusing to act, he is a mystery.
Watteau was fascinated by the fuzzy boundary between life and theater, reality and performance. Pierrot invites us to consider who we become when we step outside our assigned roles.