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Which artists and artistic traditions influenced Antoine Watteau’s early Rococo style?

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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.

Antoine Watteau’s early Rococo style was shaped by a synthesis of diverse artistic traditions and the influence of several key figures. His development was particularly informed by the following sources:

Claude Gillot: As Watteau’s teacher, Gillot introduced him to the world of theatre, including the commedia dell’arte, and a preference for the 16th-century school of Fontainebleau over the official, grandiose art of the time.1
Peter Paul Rubens: Watteau was deeply influenced by Rubens’s vibrant, life-filled paintings, particularly the cycle dedicated to Marie de Médicis at the Luxembourg Palace. The triumph of Rubens’s influence over rigid classicism was a cornerstone of the emerging Rococo style.123
Theatrical Traditions: Watteau’s work frequently reflected the charm and artifice of the commedia dell’arte and the opéra ballet, which he observed closely while working with Gillot.41
Other Artistic Influences: His style also drew upon the naturalism of Dutch painters, the etchings and brush drawings of Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, and the engravings of Jacques Callot.12

By integrating these varied ideas, Watteau created the fêtes galantes, a new style characterized by delicate, sketchlike techniques and wistful, elegant fantasies.25