Bathing Diana by Jean Antoine Watteau

Bathing Diana by Jean Antoine Watteau

It is known that before his death Antoine Watteau destroyed some of his pictures of erotic content. What was depicted on them – will forever remain a mystery. We have lived only a few works of the artist, in which there is a nude female nature “not in the form of statues.” Naturally, most of them are written on mythological subjects.

Above you can see “Bathing Diana”. The goddess-hunter is shown here as a coquettish young girl. Particular attention deserves the landscape in the background – obviously not antique, but quite a European-rural. On the next page there is a picture “Court of Paris”.

The artist portrayed the moment of transfer of the apple by Paris Aphrodite – the most beautiful of the goddesses. Curiously, Watteau shows us “the most beautiful of the goddesses” from the back. Perhaps he found that this is the most successful angle. However, the master did not always need a “mythological excuse” for addressing nudity.

His work “Toilet” is interesting. The young beauty is caught unawares – she smiles slyly, but does not hurry to put on her chemise. Written in the company of her roomy doggie and maid, this lady became the predecessor of the “boudoir beauties” Boucher and Fragonard.

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