Jean-Antoine Watteau, October 10, 1684 – July 18, 1721, was a French painter and draftsman born in Valenciennes. He moved to Paris around 1702 and trained with Claude Gillot and Claude Audran III, whose work connected him with theatrical subjects and decorative painting.

Watteau became a member of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1717, presenting The Embarkation for Cythera as his reception piece. His paintings of actors, musicians, and elegant figures in landscape settings established the fête galante as an academic category and influenced painters including Nicolas Lancret and Jean-Baptiste Pater.

In declining health, Watteau traveled to London in 1720 and returned to France before dying at Nogent-sur-Marne at thirty-six. His paintings and drawings are held by the Louvre Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wallace Collection, National Gallery, and other major collections.

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