Art 108 Nineteenth Century Art History

02/01/2012

Study questions: Donald Posner, “The Pilgrimage to Cythera”

  1. For what purpose did Antoine Watteau paint The Pilgrimage to Cythera?

Watteau painted The Pilgrimage to Cytheraas his required reception piece for the Academie Royale.

  1. What and where is Cythera?

Cythera is an island of love, Love Island, where Venus was born. Posner says it exists in the heart.

  1. What explanation does Posner give for the painting’s uncharacteristically sketchy brushwork?

Posner says it was because he was in a hurry to finish the piece and the brushwork was broader due to rapid execution; Watteau was running behind and when informed that he had only six months left he began to work in earnest. (182)

  1. What year did the painting enter the collection of the Louvre?

The painting entered the Louvre in 1795, 78 years after Watteau submitted it.

  1. When did it become “the masterpiece of French masterpieces” and why did it take so long for it to be so admired?

It became the masterpiece of French masterpieces in the 19th century, after the Goncourts wrote about it calling it such. At first, because of the feeling of the times, the painting was interpreted as melancholy, love was a tragic thing at that time, and Watteau was thought to be sad. The piece was also repeated interpreted of passing love, like life. It was also always interpreted as an embarkation for Cythera

  1. Who were the Goncourts? (You have to look this up.)

They were brothers Edmund and Jules. They were French naturalism writers who spent every day together until one died. They were famous for both their writing and their diaries that gave an inside view of French literary circles.

They wrote about French art and society and their writing reflects an important part of both literary and social life during the 19th century.

Edmund also left his estate for the foundation and maintenance of Academie Goncourt, which awards the Prix Goncourt, a literary award, every year.

  1. How and why did the reception of the painting change over time and why?

It changed over time as critics changed their interpretation

  1. Describe the different ways of interpreting it.(184)

Charles de Tolnay believed ‘the painting was learnedly programmed to represent the cosmic cycle of love.’ That love is ‘ephemeral, fated to pass like life itself.’ Michael Levey proclaims that the lovers are not going to Cythera, but coming back from the island, which leads to a feeling of ‘transience and sadness.’ (184)

  1. What is Posner’s view of whether the couples are going or coming from Cythera?

He concurs with Bauer that it doesn’t matter whether they are coming or going and that it’s not important to understand the picture.

  1. What are the arguments pro and con “going” or “coming”? Why does it matter? (You will have to read to the end of the article to answer this question.)

If they are going from Cythera, it is the melancholy picture that it was thought to be, that love is fleeting like life, but if they are coming to Cythera it gives one hope that there is love and a partner for them out there, that love is eternal and not fleeting, it is a state that is to be enjoyed like life itself.

  1. What does Posner think Watteau intended the painting to mean? What evidence does he give?

Because of their dress, like pilgrims, they appear to be at their destination, Cythera. The left side of the painting, which isn’t Cythera, has a boat with couples appearing to be headed towards the boat. The right side of the picture is Cythera, with couples arriving.

Also Voyage to Cythera was popular in literature and the theater, leaving Cythera was not.

He thinks it’s an allegory of love; ‘is a vision of the power of the amorous instincts, of the urgent search for partners and of the intoxicating dream of Love fulfilled.’ (192)

  1. Would membership in the Academie have been of practical value to Watteau?

Not at the time he finished the painting as he was already an established and sought after artist.

  1. How is The Pilgrimage to Cythera a “fete galante,” a “modern pastorale,” and why would it be less esteemed than a history painting by traditional academic standards?

Because at that time to be called a ‘history painter’ was the highest achieve an artist could be bestowed by the Academie. It is a modern work, of the times, and doesn’t represent a historical time period, symbolically or otherwise.

  1. Where did Watteau get the idea for the painting’s subject? Is it an original idea in art history? Explain

He had probably studied other paintings and sketches which portrayed Cythera, it was a popular subject in both literature and the theater and he had also done a previous less complicated work on the subject. Watteau’s genre was apparently original, on page 185 Posner refers to it as ‘his genre’ but other statements afterwards lean towards at least the concept of Cythera was not unknown to people at the time.

  1. How did Watteau go about composing his figures in the landscape?

They are composed to represent pilgrims arriving at their destination, Cythera. Their dress, short capes and staffs representative of pilgrim wear, and their behavior.

  1. Why does Posner think the meaning is “radiantly clear” in spite of the undetermined narrative?

‘The Pilgrimage to Cythera is a vision of the power of the amorous instinct, of the urgent search for partners and of the intoxicating dream of Love fulfilled. Cythera exists in the human heart; thus it is here beneath the trees and also there, an everpresent distant goal, on the horizon.’ (192) Posner is interpreting what Cythera meant to the people during the time Watteau painted it. As he is applying the generalities of social thought to what the painting means, which is reasonable because both art and social thought were linked at this period of time.

  1. Why did the academicians change the title of the painting to “une feste galante” (thus creating a new academic genre) and deny Watteau the status of a history painter?

They changed it because they thought it was not a historical painting but a mythical one and by accepting it would give Watteau the title of history painter and the painting was deemed ‘not historical.’ The painting was questionable as a history painting. Their acceptance of the painting, but renaming it was to deny giving Watteau the title of history painter. The painting also has no source in history books, it was not proper history (192)

  1. What is the difference between the Louvre and later Berlin versions of the painting?

The difference is the Berlin version is brighter and higher key in coloring, ‘more complex and more three-dimensional handling of space and forms, a greater tension in the now lengthened and ornamented arabesque of its design, and a crisp sharpness of details.’ More closely in tune with his later work. (194) The earlier painting has 16 people, which the later has 24, earlier 12 cupids all but one around the boat, later has 38 cupids all around the departing couples. He makes it clearer that they are going to Cythera, not leaving, but also if by chance they are leaving it is without regret, so the later painting leaves less interpretation. Berlin version gay and cheerful,

  1. What explanation does Posner give for art world’s preference for the first (Louvre) version? How does the second painting confirm Posner’s thesis about Watteau’s intended meaning?

Posner says that the art world prefers the first version becauseit ‘more readily allowsone to read an expected melancholy sentiment into it and melancholy is strangely regarded as more meaningful than joyousness. By showing the couples are happily and joyously going to Cythera and are in love removing the questionable melancholy interpretation that was given in the first painting.

Finally: Determine the thesis and three key points that establish the credibility of the thesis.

The thesis of this article that critiques of the work are only at the finished piece of the work, but there are other reasons for the way it was painted which involved how Watteau came to develop the painting.

Actual answer: That the Pilgrims are on Cythera and are leaving for a life beyond the love they have found there.

The time constraint by the Academie, Watteau’s growing popularity as an artist and his busy life overrode the importance of Academie work until the Academie gave him the 6 month deadline and the Academie wasn’t funding him much, he was making more on other projects. Posner says he was probably going to do a history painting, but that would take so much time and materials. By the time of the Academie’s deadline Watteau found that history paintings were not very original and that the more pastoral scenes were much more desirable. He no longer wanted to be a history painter. By doing this painting Watteau was affirming his genre of painting. The subject was common in the literature and theatre of his time, and he had painted or sketched L’Ile de Cythere earlier in his career, so the subject was not unknown to him and the theme of a pilgrimage to Love’s island appeared in art before him before.

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