Le roi de Rococo
Best known for his fêtes galantes such as the famous Pèlerinage à l'île de Cythère , Antoine Watteau was a major proponent in the revival of the Baroque style and the formation of the Rococo movement. Watteau was inspired by the theater and in particular the commedia dell’arte , hence elaborately costumed actors, dancers, and musicians were recurrent subjects; he was also fond of bucolic scenes and portraiture. Infused with romance, drama, and joie de vivre, Watteau’s paintings depict a idyllic world of pleasure and entertainment.

About the Series:
Every book in TASCHEN's Basic Art Series features:

• a detailed chronological summary of the artist's life and work, covering the cultural and historical importance of the artist
• approximately 100 color illustrations with explanatory captions
• a concise biography

About the author:
Iris Lauterbach studied art history and Romance philology and gained her doctorate in 1985. Since 1991 she is at the Research Department of the Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte in Munich and teaches history of garden architecture at the Technical University Munich. Her primary fields of research include the French 18th century and the history of European garden art from the 16th to the early 19th century.