Watteau: The Music Lesson

The fête galante in Watteau (1684-1721) is very much a musical celebration. With a presence in no less than a third of his pictures, music holds an essential place in the painter’s œuvre. Observed with the precision of a connoisseur, it is firmly rooted in the reality of the concerts of his time, the better to nurture the amorous discourse of the paintings and merge into their mystery. As a poetic element, it enriches the meaning with its allusive power, suggesting a sound-world blending the strains of musette, cornett, violin, guitar, and the human voice. One must first learn to see these sounds before hearing them.