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How did Antoine Watteau begin studying painting in Valenciennes?
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Antoine Watteau
Mezzetin, oil on canvas by Antoine Watteau, 1718â20; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 55.2 Ă 43.2 cm.
In his youth in Valenciennes, Antoine Watteau demonstrated a strong interest in art by sketching mountebanks who performed in the public square. Recognizing this inclination, his parents placed him in the workshop of a local painter to begin his formal training.1