Reverie and Realism

A celebration and analysis of the works of Rococo artist Antoine Watteau, paired with dresses inspired by his art, designed by the luxury fashion house ERDEM.This companion to the Wallace Collection’s Reverie and Realism exhibition explores the art of Antoine Watteau (1684–1721), an artist widely celebrated for his fêtes galantes or wistful scenes of lovers, actors and musicians idling in bucolic, dream-like settings. The essays examine the paradox that lies at the heart of Watteau’s vision by presenting his strange and evocative paintings alongside the observational drawings that informed their making. They also address the complex social realities that underpin the playful, performative aspects of his work, such as the colonial connections upon which the wealth of many of his patrons depended, as well as his depictions of people from different ethnic and social backgrounds. Watteau is considered both in his historical context and as a creative figure who transcended his time in forging new style of painting that elevated visual and sensory qualities over narrative and moral content, anticipating later developments such as Impressionism and the Aesthetic movement.Unique to this catalogue is an exclusive article about the fashion designer ERDEM, whose work has often drawn inspiration from Watteau's depictions of textiles and fashion, accompanied by detailed colour photographs of some of his creations.