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How did Pierre Sirois and Gersaint support Antoine Watteauâs career?
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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.
Pierre Sirois and his son-in-law, Edme-François Gersaint, were pivotal figures in the life and career of Antoine Watteau. Following Watteauâs return to Paris in 1710, he stayed as a guest of the art dealer Pierre Sirois, beginning a lifelong friendship with both men.1
Their support was instrumental in several ways:
- Professional Partnership: Watteau worked almost exclusively for dealers like Gersaint, who provided a vital outlet for his work outside of traditional royal patronage.2
- Personal Support: Both men remained faithful friends to the artist throughout his life, providing him with stability and personal connection.1
- Artistic Legacy: Watteau immortalized his relationship with Gersaint by painting a famous signboard for his shop in 1720, known as The Signboard of Gersaint. This masterpiece, created in just eight days, serves as a profound reflection on the art market and the act of painting itself.32
- Integration: Watteauâs personal connection to the family was such that he even included members of the Sirois family as figures within his paintings.1