From Charles de La Fosse to Antoine Watteau: The 'Crozat Saisons'

Pierre Crozat is generally regarded as one of Antoine Watteau's principle p atrons. The two probably met in 1712, but their relationship was not perfec t. Although Crozat commissioned Watteau to decorate his dining room on the allegorical theme of the seasons, this was no doubt because the younger pai nter had been introduced to him by Charles de La Fosse, initially commissio ned to execute the project. Watteau took on the project following the death of La Fosse and had to bow to the tastes of the rich collector. The Saison s, painted between 1717 and 1719, well reflect the way in which Watteau had to adapt himself to a history painting subject, and also how he drew on th e works he saw at Crozat's and elsewhere. His sources were works by Titian, Rubens, Van Dyck and Castiglione as well as La Fosse, C. Maratti, and F. G irardon. A curious drawing conserved in the Louvre still shows that artists such as Parmesan, M. Rocca and Frere Andre also caught his attention.