“La jalouse Italie effrayante les amours,
Les fait marcher de nuit, les constraint au mistère
Mais une Serenade y supplie aux discours;
Un geste, un sel regard conclud on rompt d’Affaire,
L’impatient Francois en intrigue préfere,
Des chemins moins couverts, les croyée—vous plus courts?
M. Roy.”
These stanzas are by Roy, a contemporary poet who was a librettist for the Opera, two of whose operas were produced in 1712.
One thing is certain, that Watteau’s own eyes must have noted the contrast between the Italian and French comedy to have painted such pictures. He could not have painted them without being an observant theatre-goer. What, then, did he see, and when could he have seen such productions as might suggest such works? While acknowledging that positive evidence is still to be sought, I cannot help feeling that these two pictures, and one or two others, could fairly safely be placed as work done about 1711-1712.
In 1709 Antoine, still with Audran at the Luxembourg, competed for entry, and was admitted with four other students, for the Academy. Then he left Paris for Valenciennes, defraying expenses by selling a military picture, “Départ des Troupes,” to the dealer, Sirois, who urged him to paint a similar picture, which he did at Valenciennes.