1702
chalk
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Treetops [verso] is a 1702 chalk by Jean Antoine Watteau, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows bare trees with twisted branches against a pale, rough background. The lines are dark and scratchy, like quick sketches. Some spots of red and brown wash add faint color to the otherwise grayish paper. The artist used chalk and wash, making the scene look rough and unfinished. It’s more about quick marks than smooth shapes. Look up Watteau, Antoine to see how he worked with similar sketches.
Jean-Antoine Watteau was a French painter and draughtsman whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement, as seen in the tradition of Correggio and Rubens.
See the richer artist page
![Trees [verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/2f59ba73e183df09/thumb.webp)
