Antoine Watteau was a French painter of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was a very skilled and innovative painter and was a pioneer of the new Rocco artistic style. Despite the objections of his father who wanted him to join the family trade of carpentry and tiling, Watteau became a well-respected painter (and dabbled in architecture throughout his life). Although he only lived to the age of 39 and lacked contemporary popularity, Wateau led an interesting life and greatly influenced the development of French art. Watteau was born in 1684 in the town of Valenciennes, France. The city belonged to the Spanish Netherlands in the decade before Watteau's birth. Because the city had been part of the Netherlands for so long, Watteau's art had a large Dutch influence, particularly that of the famous Flemish painter Rubens. In addition to Flemish influences, many French elements as well as some Italian elements are present in his work. His hybrid style which draws inspiration from many schools of art, including Baroque, led him to be a pioneer of the new Rocco style. ...