Claude Gillot (April 27, 1673 – May 4, 1722) was a
French painter, printmaker, and illustrator, best known as the master of
Watteau
Jean-Antoine Watteau (, , ; baptised 10 October 1684died 18 July 1721) Alsavailablevia Oxford Art Online (subscription needed). was a French painter and draughtsman whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement, as ...
and
Lancret.
Life
Gillot was born in
Langres
Langres () is a commune in France, commune in northeastern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Departments of France, department of Haute-Marne, in the Regions of France, region of Grand Est.
History
As the capital ...
.
He was a painter, engraver, book illustrator, metal worker, and designer for the theater. He had Watteau as an apprentice between 1703 and 1708.
Gillot's sportive mythological landscape pieces, with such titles as ''Feast of Pan'' and ''Feast of Bacchus'', opened the Academy of Painting at
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
to him in 1715; and he then adapted his art to the fashionable tastes of the day, and introduced the decorative ''
fêtes champêtres'', in which he was afterwards surpassed by his pupils, though Gillot's examples usually lack the contemporary dress of Watteau's. His paintings often include characters from the ''
commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Theatre of Italy, Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is a ...
'', a taste he passed on to Watteau. Gillot was also closely connected with the
opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
and theatre as a designer of scenery and costumes. He died in Paris, aged 49.
Gallery
File:Claude Gillot - Les deux carrosses (vers 1707).JPG, ''Les Deux Carrosses'', 1707, oil on canvas, Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
, Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
File:Le Tombeau de Maître André - Claude Gillot - Musée du Louvre Peintures RF 1945 26.jpg, ''Le tombeau de Maître André'', ca. 1716–1717, oil on canvas, Louvre, Paris
File:Claude Gillot - Italian Comedians - WGA08989.jpg, ''Scene from "Jupiter curieux impertinent"'', pen drawing, Louvre, Paris
File:Gillot-Mascarade.jpg, ''Mascarade'', pen and brown ink drawing, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
References
;References
Further reading
;General studies
*
*
*
*
*
;Specialty studies
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
;Additional studies
*
*
*
*
;Reference books
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Brief biography of Claude Gillot from the Getty Museum*
1673 births
1722 deaths
People from Langres
17th-century French painters
French male painters
18th-century French painters
18th-century French male artists
{{France-painter-17thC-stub