Fete galante is a French term that means ‘ galant party’, which celebrates pursuits of the idle rich aristocrats, from the Eighteenth Century. Fete galante is defined in the website dictionary. com as a representation in art of elegantly dressed groups at play in a rural or park like setting. Another term that has been used to explain this style of painting was “ a celebration of love. ” Fete galante refers to a particular style of painting that originally began with the painter Antoine Watteau. Fete galante paintings were an important part of the rococo period.
Some of the artists that have painted pieces of work that have been included in this style are Antoine Watteau, Jean-Baptiste Pater, and Nicolas Lancret. According to the website ibibilo. org, the WebMuseum, Paris “ Antoine Watteau is probably best known for his fete galante paintings. ” Antoine’s painting style, which lasted only a short period of time, ending in the mid 1700’s, but was popular again in the 1800’s. From the book The Humanistic Tradition “ Watteau’s art conveys no moral or heroic message; rather, it explores the world of familiar but transitory pleasures.
Found in the website ibibilo. org, the WebMuseum, Paris some of the paintings by Watteau that are considered part of the fete galante collection include: The Venetian Pleasures painted in 1718-1719. This painting included himself, and a friend of his. Several of the other of Watteau’s paintings were the Gersaint’s Shopsign and The Embarkation for Cythera, painted in 1717. As of today I cannot find any art forms that would be considered entertainment in contemporary society.
Works SitedBMW Foundation, The WebMuseum, Parris, Watteau, Jean-Antoine. Nicolas Pioch. 14, October 2002.
” Dictionary. com Unabridged (v 1. 1). Random House, Inc.
09 Oct. 2008. reference. com/browse/fete galante>. Fiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition : Faith, Reason, and Power in the Early Modern World. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities, Social Sciences & World Languages, 2001. 143.
