Conference

Sophie Raux : Watteau, Gersaint and the art trade in Paris under the Regency; a new contextualisation offered by digital technologies

Le 22 May 2019 De 18:30 à 21:00
18:30
Salon de la résidence IEA
3 Allée de Fontenay, 69007 Lyon

This micro-historical inquiry will deal with one of the most famous painting in the history of art, Gersaint's Shop sign. Painted by Jean Antoine Watteau in 1720, this painting was intended for the most innovative art dealer settled on the Pont Notre-Dame in Paris in the first half of the eighteenth century.

To what extent does this painting reflect the dealer’s exhibition and sales space? How, given its considerable great size, could it be used as a genuine shop sign? What visual impact did it have in its day? These questions have never been properly answered using traditional art history methods. Indeed, virtual reconstruction of the Pont Notre-Dame and Gersaint’s shop make it possible to explore the painting’s original setting in a new way. It enables a fuller understanding of the work’s dramatic impact and greater comprehension of its visionary and provocative aspects at both artistic and political levels.

Sophie Raux is professor at Université Lumière Lyon 2 in modern art history, and researcher at the Laboratoire de recherches historiques Rhône-Alpes (LARHRA)