Love in the Italian Theatre

This Love in the Italian Theatre, around 1716 and in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, depicts a scene from the commedia dell'arte tradition that fascinated Watteau throughout his career. The Italian theatrical tradition's emphasis on improvisation, masking, and the stock characters of Harlequin, Pierrot, and Colombina deeply influenced his artistic vision, providing him with figures who embodied emotions more directly than the self-censoring aristocratic society of the fête galante could allow. Watteau drew deeply on commedia dell'arte traditions he observed in Paris and his native Valenciennes, giving his theatrical figures a melancholy underpinned by his own awareness of early death from tuberculosis. The Italian comedians rendered in their characteristic costumes — Pierrot's white, Harlequin's diamonds, Colombina's elegant dress — create a vivid chromatic ensemble that celebrates the expressive freedom of theatrical performance.

The Italian comedians are rendered in their characteristic costumes—Pierrot's white, Harlequin's diamonds, Colombina's dress—creating a vivid chromatic ensemble. The more animated gestures distinguish the Italian tradition from its French counterpart in the companion painting.