How did Charles Baudelaire interpret Antoine Watteau’s paintings?

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Watteau, Antoine: Mezzetin — Antoine Watteau *Mezzetin*, oil on canvas by Antoine Watteau, 1718–20; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 55.2 × 43.2 cm.

The French poet Charles Baudelaire offered a profound and precise interpretation of Antoine Watteau, famously honoring him as one of the "beacons" of mankind in his 1855 poem "Les Phares."1

Baudelaire viewed Watteau’s artistic vision through the lens of the comédie-ballet. He interpreted the painter's work as a weightless, whirling dance, depicting scenes of aristocratic cavaliers and popular stock characters performing under the artificial illumination of chandeliers. This perspective helped revive interest in Watteau during the 19th century, positioning his Rococo style as a significant contribution to art history after a period of posthumous neglect.1