Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Seated Woman

1716–17
Not on view
One of the most brilliant and innovative draftsmen of the eighteenth century, Watteau was an early exponent of the "trois-crayons" or "three-chalk" technique, which allowed his drawings to approach the rich coloristic effects of painting. This fetching study of a seated woman is a consummate example of his mastery of the technique. Freely mixing red, black, and white chalk, he captured the young woman's loosely pinned-up hair, luminous flesh tones, and the sheen of her dress. The Lehman sheet is not known to be a preparatory study for a painting, but the model does reappear in at least one other drawing by the artist. Her gesture is not easily understood, although her elegance and charming lack of self-consciousness come through clearly.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Seated Woman
  • Artist: Antoine Watteau (French, Valenciennes 1684–1721 Nogent-sur-Marne)
  • Date: 1716–17
  • Medium: Black, red and white chalk
  • Dimensions: 9 7/16 x 5 7/16 in. (24 x 13.8 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
  • Object Number: 1975.1.763
  • Curatorial Department: The Robert Lehman Collection

More Artwork

More Artwork
Mezzetin, Antoine Watteau French, Oil on canvas
Mezzetin
Antoine Watteau
ca. 1718–20
Guitar, Jean-Baptiste Voboam French, Spruce, tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, ivory, ebony, French
Guitar
attributed to Jean-Baptiste Voboam
1697
Approach to a Mountain Village with Horsemen on the Road, Fra Bartolomeo (Bartolomeo di Paolo del Fattorino) Italian, Pen and brown ink, traces of black chalk; mounted on an album page
Approach to a Mountain Village with Horsemen on the Road
Fra Bartolomeo (Bartolomeo di Paolo del Fattorino)
ca. 1501
Figures françoises et comiques nouvellement inventées par M. Watteau; Figures de modes dessinées et gravées à l'eau forte par Watteau; a terminées au buin par Thomassin le fils, Antoine Watteau French
Figures françoises et comiques nouvellement inventées par M. Watteau; Figures de modes dessinées et gravées à l'eau forte par Watteau; a terminées au buin par Thomassin le fils
Multiple artists/makers
1710?–?1720
Ceramic Horn, Glazed pottery, French
Ceramic Horn
French
late 18th or early 19th century

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries and chronologies from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.