Emerald’s Jardin, Ordinary Creature Within Crystal Jar: Formal Analysis of Mezzetin by Jean-Antoine Watteau

Haofan Ling

doi:10.54097/ehss.v1i.669

Authors

Haofan Ling

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/ehss.v1i.669

Keywords:

Overgrown Garden, Unbalanced Composition, Identity of the Protagonist.

Abstract

In the early 18th century, artists in Paris leaned towards the topic of entertainment and public theatre. Jean-Antoine Watteau created Mezzetin; arranged a mysterious space to elaborate and dramatize Mezzetin's life through figural scale, meticulous selection of colors, and painterly details. The artist depicted the melancholic image within the paradigms of the Rococo style. The current study investigated several elements of the painting that delivers this atmosphere. This study will focus on the grey tone of green background color, mysterious woman's identity, irregular protagonist position within ordered composition, and contradictory character setting, which are considered elements that molded Mezzetin as a behind-the-scene of entertaining character.

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