Claude Gillot

A draughtsman and printmaker in the last years of the Grand Siècle, Claude Gillot is known for the inventiveness and originality of his works, heralding the freedom of expression and mores of the Régence period (1715–1723).

With his parodies, witchcraft scenes, farces and fairground improvisations, he is an artist known for satire, comedy and performing arts. His countless drawings, coveted by collectors, nevertheless attest to extensive activity in a broad range of fields: illustration, theatre and opera, costume and interior decoration.

At the core of his work, a rich corpus of drawings illustrates his penchant for the comedy of the Comédie Italienne (Italian companies performing in France), with its pantomimes, acrobatics and cross-dressing figures. A costume and set designer for the Paris Opera starting in 1712, Gillot was also a sought-after decorator, notably collaborating with Claude Audran III on private interiors, and reinventing arabesque painting in the process.

ORGANISED BY:

Hélène Meyer and Xavier Salmon, Musée du Louvre

Acknowledgements

This exhibition is supported by the Tavolozza Foundation.